Environmental Determinants of Mental Health: a multilevel theoretical framework for understanding mental health and wellbeing

Source abstract

The present paper develops Author’s concept of Environmental Determinants of Mental Health for 2025 into a Multilevel Pathways Framework for the Environmental Determinants of Mental Health. The framework explains how natural, built, social and digital environmental conditions may influence mental health and wellbeing through environmental encounters, direct exposure, appraisal, access or avoidance, and biopsychosocial mechanisms. It also considers contextual conditions, including socioeconomic position, culture, discrimination, health and social support, and recognises that these relationships operate across individual, community, city, regional and global levels. Drawing on environmental psychology, public health, urban studies and built environment research, the paper distinguishes environmental conditions from the encounters through which they are experienced and proposes multiple pathways for future testing. Environmental Determinants of Mental Health extends, rather than replaces, Engel’s biopsychosocial model by positioning environmental conditions and encounters more explicitly within mental health pathways. The framework may support research and practical action across urban planning, housing, architecture, mental health policy and climate adaptation, including the design of environments that reduce mental health risks and support wellbeing and resilience.