Health and Homelessness: building ways to transform lives

Description

Health and Homelessness: building ways to transform lives
Recent studies on health-related public policies to homelessness (Morrison, 2009; Scottish Government, 2005 and 2012; Sprake et al, 2014; Homeless Link, 2014) have shown the lack health-care among a large population of young and vulnerable homeless people. Poor health conditions are not only a consequence of homelessness but can also act as a strong barrier to overcoming the challenges in this context. One of the largest follow-up studies (Morrison, 2009) on homelessness in the United Kingdom found that homelessness acts as an independent risk factor for mortality compared with general population and they are over four times more likely to die prematurely than their non-homeless peers. Homelessness can also affect oral health and mental health, with problems such as stress, anxiety or depression. This presentation will focus on a project based at the Dental Health Services Research Unit (DHSRU), the Smile4life Programme. As the oral health/health needs of these most deprived groups have been perceived within the Scottish health policy as part of the broad goal of reducing health inequalities this research aims to strengthen a culture of health promotion inside organisations working with people experiencing homelessness. It is based on the planning, delivery and evaluation of workshops to practitioners from NGOs and also to service users on oral health/health promotion and homelessness issues. The workshops will focus on the role of health in its wide sense and will be explored as an important tool to encourage life changing processes and to overcome the effects of stigma originating from the homelessness context.

Period	6 Oct 2015
Event title	Health, Human Rights and Development. Symposium of Social Dimensions of Health Institute.
Event type	Other
Location	Dundee, United Kingdom