Assignment Help on Social Determinants of Health
Income and social status
One may look at income and social status and think that they should be looked at differently, but when referring to the determinants of health, they go hand in hand. Quite often, the amount of income one person has, can define their social status. WHO 2012 suggests that the higher the income and social status a person has, the better their health. A person with a lower income and social status are more likely to have a serious illness. Keleher,H.,& MacDougall, C.(2011) says that social status is the main determinant of health. This is because the higher income a person has, the better health care they will receive as they can afford. They can look after their health holistically simply because they have the funds. Someone with a lower income may receive just basic health care such as GP visits funded by Medicare. A person’s income and social status can have quite an impact on their mental health. A person who has a higher income is less likely to be stressed about financial issues (Zimmerman, F., & Katon, W. 2005). Stress is a factor that can lead to depression. People who have a low income are most likely going to be stressed trying to make ends meet and this can lead to an episode of depression. Also, one who does not have the funds to see other health professionals may be more stressed. They may not be able to afford to have their health looked at holistically by other health professionals. This factor can impact their life greatly.
Education and Literacy
Education is a vital tool in being able to make good choices throughout life, especially when it comes to health. Low health education and literacy is possibly better at predicting health status than other health determinants (Keleher,H.,& MacDougall, C.(2011). Unfortunately, not everyone has access to the education that is needed. This can have great complications on a person’s health. According to the WHO 2012, low health education can also bring about more stress and low self-esteem. These are factors that can lead to depression. Depression is a serious illness and if left untreated, it could cause harm (www.beyondblue.org.au). Some may not consider depression as serious because they are simply not educated on it. If it is not considered serious then a person who is showing sigs of depression will not go and get treatment. A person may be stressed, anxious and have difficulty sleeping and may not think that they are related. They might not even know that they can lead to depression. If a person is not educated on a health topic, they are not going to know if they possibly will have it. If they don’t know they have it then they will not seek treatment on the matter.
Employment and Working Conditions
- Employment is beneficial. It brings high self-esteem, a source of income and a development of identity
- There are many dangers in a workplace.
- When considering a workplace, think of female job as well. E.g. work around the home.
- Poor quality jobs are more harmful to your health than unemployment
- Working condition aspects include physical exposures, ergonomic exposures, chemical exposures, biological exposures and psychological exposures
- Job stress and other psychological hazards are one of the main contributors to the burden of occupational disease and injury
- Job stress can lead to a number of physical and psychological problems such as depression
All points taken from main textbook chapter 14
Social Environment
- Social environment has a large impact on one’s health
- Includes diet, education, work and living conditions (consider geographic location), income
- People who are socially deprived tend to has less access to health services
- Therefore they are more likely to be ill and die earlier compared to someone who is more socially advantaged
Points taken from WHO website
- A person may be stressed because of where they live, financial issues, work related issues and poor diet. This can be considered life stress
- Life stress and depression are very closely related
- The stressors of life can cause depression in the long run
Points taken from article “The Social Environment and Life Stress in Depression”
