Integrated Prevention Infrastructure: A Framework for Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Substance Use Policy Making

Substance use and misuse remain formidable public health challenges and are intricately linked to social determinants of health (SDOH). Addressing SDOH requires structural interventions along with clinical support to change relevant policies. In this article, the authors review structural interventions known as prevention infrastructures and provide a framework for considering how different models of prevention infrastructures can be used to address SDOH that contribute to substance use. In particular, they introduce a typology of prevention infrastructures and explain how different infrastructure types can affect policy decision making across contexts and how these models can interact with each other. Furthermore, they consider the importance of cultural responsiveness in the creation of effective infrastructures to support communities and policy makers within organizations and government.