Sebastian Ruiz's Github repository for Data 150 at WIlliam and Mary
Central Research Question
The dearth of representation for people with mental illness in developing Latin American countries has ensured that absent government funding and ableist legislation prevent the expansion of mental health services. This inspired me to conduct my research on data science applications that can increase the representation of mental health services in Latin America, Therefore, my central research question is: do mental health coverage gaps in developing Latin American countries have a disproportionate impact on impoverished individuals and can this be reliably modeled?
My central research question is accompanied by three sub-research questions that investigate specific intricacies of mental health care gaps in developing Latin American countries. Those questions are: Are there geographic and socioeconomic trends that indicated an individual’s susceptibility to mental illness in Latin America? Can mental health services in developing Latin America be effective like those in developed countries despite the stigmatization of mental health found in Latin American culture? How can developing countries that lack the finances and trained personnel reasonably roll out enough cost-effective mental health services needed to meet the needs of their population?