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Commercial Determinants Linked to Poor Mental Health Outcomes

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 1, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 30, 2024 -- There is evidence that commercial determinants or unhealthy commodities like alcohol and social media are associated with poor mental health outcomes, according to a review published online Aug. 28 in PLOS Global Public Health.

Kate Dun-Campbell, M.B.Ch.B., from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues conducted an umbrella review to synthesize systematic review-level evidence examining the association between commercial determinants and mental health.

Based on 65 included reviews, the researchers found evidence for associations between alcohol, tobacco, gambling, social media, ultraprocessed foods, and air pollution and depression. There were also associations observed for alcohol, tobacco, gambling, social media, climate change, and air pollution with suicide. For anxiety, associations were seen for climate change and air pollution, while self-harm associations were related to social media.

"The evidence bases for ultraprocessed foods, gambling, social media, and climate change are less developed but already include high-quality reviews demonstrating associations between these industries and various negative mental health outcomes," the authors write. "There is a striking lack of research examining the wider actions of corporations on mental health outcomes. Given these findings, commercial determinants should be routinely included within frameworks to examine and improve mental health."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted August 2024

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