Substance Abuse And Homeless People - 3056 Words

Healthy People 2020 – Substance Abuse and Homeless People Nara D’Angelis Sousa Do Nascimento Public Health Promotion National University School of Health and Human Services Abstract Substance abuse impacts the society on multiple levels and it is a major and complex public health problem. The total overall costs of substance abuse in the United States exceeds $600 billion per year. Substance abuse is often a cause of homelessness and homeless people report that drugs and/or alcohol were a major reason for them becoming homeless. Drug overdose is a new epidemic and it is the leading cause of death among homeless. At a state level, California accounted for more than 22% of the nation’s homeless population in 2013. Several determinants of health can be addressed to the high prevalence of substance abuse in homeless people. A fish bone diagram will be used to illustrate six determinants of health: Stress, Poverty, Discrimination, Housing, Access to Health Care and Social Support. Homeless people face stressful situations related to violence and danger and emotional dysfunctions. The access to health care has several barriers for homeless people. Poverty is al so related to all the factors to contribute to drug use. At last, lack of social support from family and friends and for recovery. Discrimination that leads to marginalization, stigma and increase of emotional distress. .Keywords: substance abuse, determinants of health, homeless people. Healthy People 2020 –Show MoreRelatedHomeless Research Paper1487 Words   |  6 PagesHomeless: Who Are They? In 2005, NCH (National Coalition for the Homeless) estimated 3.5 million people experience homelessness in the US every year (NCH,1). But what is homelessness? Jim Baumohl, a noted author, explained in Homelessness in America, the most common definition of homelessness used by researchers is the â€Å"absence of belonging to a specific place or to people† (NCH, 3). 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