The Populations Future in the Homeless Shelter - Assignment Example

Case studyDeclan, as a nursing student in a public health nursing course, engages in clinical rotation in which he visits a homeless shelter twice a week. His clients face issues such as malnutrition, communicable diseases, chronic illness, mental health issues, and substance abuse. The paper discusses Declan’s experience with the population, his knowledge of the population’s future in the homeless shelter, and his possible focus when assessing mental health illness among members of the population.

Comparison of rate of ear infection between homeless children and national averageOn Monday, Declan screens the shelters children for signs and symptoms of ear infection. The rate of ear infections is twice higher among homeless children than the national average. Reason for Declan’s knowledge that the subpopulation has limited chance of escaping homelessnessExperiences of the subpopulation, which identify barriers to change in the people’s lifestyle, explain Declan’s position that the group of people has a limited chance of escaping homelessness.

Financial barriers is one reason because while people of low economic class are homeless, as malnutrition among the subpopulation suggest, health complications such as communicable diseases and chronic diseases further burdens members of the subpopulation and they have to spend their limited earnings on healthcare. Drug abuse, another major challenge that the subpopulation faces, also constrains the people’s financial stability and therefore limit their chances of affording shelter. Members of the subpopulation also report cases of mental illness, a condition that reduces a person’s rationale to the extent of not perceiving benefits of living in a home (Maurer and Smith, 2012, p. 534). Declan therefore knows that the population has a limited chance of escaping homelessness because of the characteristics of the population that sustain the homelessness condition.

Mood disorder that Declan should pay particular attention to when he assesses the clientsDepression disorder is the mood disorder to which Declan should pay particular attention when assessing his clients because of the relatively high significance of the disorder among the subpopulation, relative to other disorders. Maurer and Smith (2012, p. 537) identifies significance of the disorder among homeless people, report an incidence rate of about 50 percent and recommend that care personnel that work with the subpopulation should occasionally assess for depression.

Empirical data on mood disorders also identifies relative significance of depression disorder over other mood disorder. A study by Hodgson, Katherine, Shelton, Marianne, Bree, and Los (2013, p. e10) also identifies significance of depression as a mood disorder. While considering prevalence of three mood disorders, the authors only identify prevalence of depression disorder over a week’s interval with zero percent prevalence rate for dysthymia and bipolar I-II disorder. A lifetime consideration however identify the highest prevalence rate with depression disorder (15.

14 percent) but only 1.7 percent prevalence rate for dysthymia and 5.9 percent prevalence rate for bipolar I-II (p. 10). Effects of depression such as hopelessness, lack of motivation, physical weakness, and irresponsible behavior affects people’s daily lives and ability to escape homelessness and therefore justify the need for Declan to pay particular attention to depression disorder among mood disorder (Smith, Saisan, and Segal, 2014, p. 1). ReferenceHodgson, K. et al. (2013). Psychopathology in young people experiencing homelessness: A systematic review.

American Journal of Public Health (p. e10) 103(6), pe24-e37. Maurer, F. and Smith, C. (2012). Communication/Public health nursing practice: Health for families and populations (p. 534, 537). St. Louise, MI: Elsevier Health Sciences. Smith, M., Saisan, J., and Segal, J. (2014). Depression symptoms and warning signs. Helpguide. (p. 1). Retrieved from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-signs-and-symptoms.htm.