Socioecological Handout Version

The Socioecological Model

Structural

Components include barriers like residential segregation, SUD-related societal stigma, an increasingly toxic drug market, historical trauma, healthcare policies, human service systems, race-based medicine, biomedical models, and punitive drug laws.

Institutional

Components include the availability of culturally responsive treatment, employer policies, clinic-level policies, social service availability, drug law implementation, medical training, family regulation practices.

Interpersonal

Components include both barriers like discrimination, implicit bias, and paternalism, as well as treatment strategies like harm reduction and person-centered service delivery.

structural

institutional

Interpersonal

The structural level of the socioecological model encompasses broader societal factors such as policies, laws, cultural norms, economic systems, and social inequalities. It acknowledges the influence of structural determinants of health, including socioeconomic status, discrimination, and access to power and resources.

The institutional level of the socioecological model refers to the characteristics and resources within the communities in which individuals live, including access to healthcare services, availability of resources (such as education, employment, and housing), community norms, and social capital.

The interpersonal level of the socioecological model encompasses personal characteristics such as genetics, behaviors, and biological factors. It acknowledges that internal factors like genetics and physiology influence individual health behaviors and outcomes. This level also involves relationships and interactions with family, friends, peers, and social networks. It recognizes the impact of social support, social norms, and social relationships on health behaviors and outcomes.