Chronic health risks and healthcare access for adults experiencing homelessness in El Paso, Texas during COVID-19 times

Abstract

Individuals experiencing homelessness face disproportionate rates of chronic health and mental conditions, disparities, and other disadvantages that contribute to being unsheltered and that call out to social workers at the micro and macro levels—in collaboration with colleagues across professional and service sectors—to examine, mitigate, and eliminate. This mixed-methods study documented the social and health determinants that put people experiencing homelessness at risk for chronic conditions that may lead to increased cancer risk, using a survey created by the research team and administered to 74 (n=74) unhoused male and female adults over the age of 18. We hypothesized that lack of access to healthcare perpetuates chronic disease and may increase cancer risk. The findings suggest areas where social workers—in keeping with the profession’s values of service, dignity and worth of the person, and social justice— must advocate for health education, screenings, care, engage in policy work, and drive further research.