Gabriela Gutzmer - WRIT 150 Blog

I have decided to switch my focus to the health disparities that the homeless population faces, particularly homeless youth. I found a source on Credo Reference titled "Health Needs of Vulnerable Populations," which is an excerpt from the Gale  Encyclopedia of Children's Health. The source goes into detail about how homeless youths' mental and physical health are compromised by their environment and how difficult it is for them to access health care. I have already used some of the information from this source in my draft, including details about the increased risks for health conditions and communicable diseases, malnutrition issues, and the dangers of living on the street such as being more likely to become a victim of violence and human trafficking. I think this source is very helpful because it goes into a variety of external factors that impact the health of the population, which is very fitting for the WP4 topic/goal. I also plan to use information from some of

I plan to focus on the stigma surrounding mental health  and  the limited access to mental illness treatment around the world. What I already know is  that people with mental illnesses can be deterred from seeking treatment due to the stigma, that mental health treatment is very expensive, and that there are not enough resources or professionals to help everyone that needs mental health care. I also know that throughout history, mental health has not been taken as seriously as physical health, despite the severe impacts it can have on someone's life. Through research, I need to learn more about how access to mental health care has changed throughout the years, how it was impacted by COVID-19, where  (geographically)  treatment access is more  limited, and statistics about how likely people are to seek help and receive help if they do seek it.