Project description
Studying the roots of mental health inequality
Children who grow up in disadvantaged environments are at higher risk of developing mental health problems later in life. But how strong is this link, and what’s driving it? To answer this question, the ERC-funded MentalSEP project will use population data from Denmark to explore the relationship between childhood socio-economic position and mental health. Unlike previous studies, it accounts for both genetic and familial factors, looks beyond clinical diagnoses and examines socio-economic conditions at multiple levels. The project will develop methods to combine data and trace family histories. The findings will offer insights into how social inequality shapes mental health, laying the groundwork for better-informed, more effective policy development.
Objective
There is robust evidence that low socioeconomic position is associated with an elevated risk of subsequent mental disorders, but the validity of these findings is debated. This association could be causal or could be the result of failing to adjust for underlying risk factors that cause both a lower socioeconomic position and a higher risk of mental disorders. Existing studies (i) do not fully account for familial and genetic underlying factors, (ii) do not use measures of socioeconomic position at different levels (e.g. individual and neighborhood), and/or (iii) do not consider mental health beyond clinically diagnosed mental disorders. MentalSEP addresses these fundamental gaps by developing a novel approach to estimate the association between childhood socioeconomic position and subsequent mental health in a comprehensive way using Danish population-based data (~11 million persons). I plan to consider both genetic and familial susceptibility and different aspects of socioeconomic position and mental health. Additionally, I propose two important methodological developments to overcome the limitations of current techniques: (i) to adapt new measures of familial susceptibility through the health and socioeconomic history of family members, and (ii) to develop data-driven methods capable of combining data sources from non-overlapping sample populations. The broad guiding hypothesis of this project is that innovative methods bridging different disciplines will reveal more meaningful information on the potential effect of socioeconomic position on mental health. MentalSEP is ground-breaking both in relation to the methods it will develop and their application. The project will deliver cutting-edge knowledge about social inequalities in mental health, helping us better guide policies aimed at reducing their impact. In addition, the project will explore pioneering methodological approaches that have the potential to be a major advancement in the field of epidemiology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08036 Barcelona
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.