Social Determinants of Health: Help Fight SDOH During the Holiday Season
It’s the giving season—which means that this month, we’re highlighting the importance of addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) during the holidays and how you can positively impact your community by breaking down barriers. Join Senior Director of Digital Products Nader Hawit as he explains what MTM has done to support organizations nationwide, helping communities in need.
SDOH During the Holidays
After thorough discussions of each social determinant throughout the year, it’s clear that addressing SDOH concerns improves health outcomes for entire communities. There continues to be an increasing interest in programs and organizations that help tackle SDOH and heighten awareness nationwide. But when it comes to the holidays, there is an extra layer of importance related to social determinants such as mental health, homelessness, transportation access, and more.
Economic Stability: People may face increased financial stress due to holiday spending, travel costs, or reduced income from seasonal work. This may affect their ability to afford basic needs, such as food, housing, and health care.
Education: Children and youth may experience disruptions in their learning due to school closures, reduced access to educational resources, or lack of parental support. This may affect their academic achievement, cognitive development, and future opportunities.
Health care access and quality: People may face barriers in accessing health care services during the holidays, such as limited availability of providers, transportation challenges, or lack of insurance coverage. This may affect their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of health conditions.
Neighborhood and built environment: People may be exposed to environmental hazards or unsafe conditions during the holiday time, such as extreme weather, air pollution, or violence. This may affect their physical and mental health, including their sense of security and belonging.
Social and community context: People may experience changes in their social and community networks during the holiday time, such as increased isolation, loneliness, or discrimination. This may affect their emotional well-being, self-esteem, and coping skills.
Supporting Charity Organizations
When you are enjoying time with family and friends this holiday season, don’t forget to consider the less fortunate who face challenges day in and day out to focus on their basic needs. Making a difference starts here. Understanding how to locate and address social determinants of health helps to target specific organizations who help these demographics in need.
There are many sites you can access, such as Charity Navigator, that help target specific charities based on location, act of service, age, and more. Over the past several months, we’ve discussed where, who, and what each segment affects—now we just need the how. How are you going to help this holiday season?
How MTM Helps
MTM is proud to support numerous charities and organizations nationwide that help tackle a variety of social determinants. Through MTM Giving, we empower our team members to engage with their communities by supporting philanthropic causes, with a major focus on diversity, wellness, and youth.
Additionally, through case studies and regular advances in technology, our company strives to have the most up-to-date equipment and information on standby, ensuring we are executing our services to the best of our ability. Studies, such as our recent Routine Screenings case study, give us the tools we need to target specific audiences and address social barriers. MTM continues to partner with national health plans to improve transportation accessibility and donate through charitable work to those who need additional support.
Follow along as we continue to support organizations nationwide going in to the holiday season and the New Year!
