Using structural approaches in social work, this article examines the scope of interventions based on the social determinants of health approach. Following an exploratory literature review on the social determinants of health approach, the authors raise three concerns regarding its use in social interventions: a) a quest for objectivity that can eliminate individual subjectivity; b) apolitical positions favouring the status quo in society; c) the tendency to focus on intervention strategies that reinforce the idea of individual responsibility and victim-blaming. These concerns underscore the importance of structural approaches for social work interventions which focus on social justice and equality.