Social Determinants of Health


Social determinants of health are the different aspects of our lives that affect our health. These things can consist of socioeconomic status, level/quality of education, and employment. Additionally, in the TED Talk from Rishi Manchanda, he kept mentioning how where we live, work, and play can affect our health. These are the areas we spend most of our lives in, so he describes how important it can be to assess these things and how they affect our overall health and quality of life. Manchanda continues by saying there is a need for “upstream” workers that can address health issues from where they arise instead of strictly just treating the ailment. I think this is more of a holistic approach and relates a lot to the roles of an occupational therapist.

Our nervous system can be affected in many different ways due to the social determinants of health that we may face. Having different health conditions, especially not knowing what they are, and being in and out of doctor’s offices can be extremely stressful for anyone. Chronic stress leads to high levels of cortisol that can impair the brain’s ability to function properly and damage the prefrontal cortex which is important for memory, learning, and decision-making.

UTHSC’s MOT program requirements for service/professional development hours have given us many opportunities to serve and learn about people who are different from ourselves. We have been able to work with others in the community as well as have had open discussions in COTAD meetings to learn about the health disparities among minority groups and how to better advocate for them. These experiences will make us greater occupational therapists upon graduation because we will have a better understanding of people who are different than ourselves and we will be able to better serve them.

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