The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are various factors in our lives that influence the quality of our health. These are examples of elements that can negatively impact our health:
Individuals who belong to a minority group in any of these categories often suffer negative consequences, including shorter lifespans. The SDOH highlight inequities in society that ultimately affect quality of life. In family court, considering the SDOH is essential in cases involving child custody, visitation, child support, and spousal support. For instance, if one parent cannot provide a safe and nurturing environment for their child but has the desire to do so, while the other parent can provide such an environment but lacks the willingness, the solution is not to award custody to the parent who can provide but does not want to. Instead, the child should be placed with the parent who wants to care for them, with the other parent providing financial support through child support payments.
Just like Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the SDOH should be mitigated as much as possible. Courts, legal practitioners, and parties involved in court cases—especially those involving children—should be educated on both ACEs and SDOH. At the very least, ACEs and SDOH provide frameworks for decision-making. Ideally, they guide the types of lifestyle choices that should be encouraged for parties involved in family law litigation.
Moreover, the SDOH can be applied more broadly in all areas of the legal system. For example, if a party in traffic court cannot afford a fine, they should receive an immediate referral to a job program, located within the courthouse. This approach would promote employment and accountability, rather than relying on community service or fee waivers. In this way, courts could serve as hubs for social development, rather than places where marginalized individuals face additional hardships without a sense of justice being achieved.
