Dodge, JessicaSullivan, KathrineMiech, EdwardClomax, AdrianeRiviere, LyndonCastro, Carl2024-06-242024-06-242024Dodge J, Sullivan K, Miech E, Clomax A, Riviere L, Castro C. Exploring the Social Determinants of Mental Health by Race and Ethnicity in Army Wives. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024;11(2):669-684. doi:10.1007/s40615-023-01551-3https://hdl.handle.net/1805/41805Objective: To explore the social determinants of mental health (SDoMH) by race/ethnicity in a sample with equal access to healthcare. Using an adaptation of the World Health Organization's SDoMH Framework, this secondary analysis examines the socio-economic factors that make up the SDoMH by race/ethnicity. Method: This paper employed configurational comparative methods (CCMs) to analyze various racial/ethnic subsets from quantitative survey data from (N = 327) active-duty Army wives. Data was collected in 2012 by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Results: Initial exploratory analysis revealed the highest-scoring factors for each racial/ethnic subgroup: non-Hispanic Black: employment and a history of adverse childhood events (ACEs); Hispanic: living off post and a recent childbirth; junior enlisted non-Hispanic White: high work-family conflict and ACEs; non-Hispanic other race: high work-family conflict and not having a military history. Final analysis showed four models consistently explained clinically significant depression symptoms and four models consistently explained the absence of clinical depression symptoms, providing a solution for each racial/ethnic minority group (non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, junior enlisted non-Hispanic White, and non-Hispanic other). Discussion: These findings highlight that Army wives are not a monolithic group, despite their collective exposure to military-specific stressors. These findings also highlight the potential for applying configurational approaches to gain new insights into mental health outcomes for social science and clinical researchers.en-USAttribution 4.0 InternationalSocial determinants of healthMental healthMilitary spousesArmyCoincidence analysisQualitative comparative analysisArticle