Session: Intersectional Experiences of Debt and Risk (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Financial precarity represents an often overlooked determinant of social wellbeing. This symposium brings together four studies that collectively examine the intersectional experiences of debt and financial risk among vulnerable populations, offering insights for transformative leadership opportunities in social work policy practice and direct practice. The interconnected nature of financial vulnerability is evidenced by these four studies that are complementary investigations into how systemic barriers manifest in the lives of marginalized populations. Each paper reveals how debt—whether from institutional contact, student loans, credit cards, or medical expenses—creates cascading effects that extend beyond financial strain into the dimensions of health, social inclusion, and psychological wellbeing.

The first paper explores how individuals with incarceration experience are at risk for debt collection, revealing an important protective factor: financial access. The study's latent class analysis identifies four levels of financial access and demonstrates that access to mainstream financial products and services—particularly those associated with quality employment—serves as a significant buffer against debt collection for formerly incarcerated individuals. This research challenges practitioners and policymakers to consider how employment supports and workforce development programs for this population might be redesigned to emphasize benefits that provide sustainable financial protection. The second paper offers a 25-year historical analysis of credit card use among low-to-moderate income households receiving social welfare benefits. By tracking patterns of credit card ownership, debt levels, and utilization across nearly three decades, this research reveals how economically vulnerable populations navigate formal credit markets differently than their counterparts. The findings illuminate how economic events like the Great Recession shape financial behavior across different demographic groups, providing crucial contextual understanding for leaders focused on economic justice. The third paper presents a phenomenological inquiry into the lived experiences of individuals with self-reported ADHD as they navigate student loan debt. Through analysis of online community discussions, the research reveals how cognitive and affective scarcities intensify the debt management challenges for these individuals, creating vicious cycles of stress, anxiety, and self-blame. The findings highlight how policymakers and practitioners must consider neurodiversity when developing financial education and debt management interventions. The final paper examines how past-due medical bills function as social determinants of health by influencing healthcare utilization behaviors. This research reveals that unpaid medical debt strongly predicts whether individuals will forgo necessary medical care—including prescriptions, tests, and doctor visits—even when controlling for insurance status and demographic factors. The findings demonstrate how financial barriers create health disparities through cascading effects, challenging leaders to develop integrated approaches to health and financial wellbeing.

Together, these papers reveal how social work leaders must engage with the complex interactions between financial systems, institutional structures, and individual circumstances. By understanding the unique ways that debt affects different vulnerable populations, policymakers and practitioners can develop more nuanced, person-centered approaches to financial access and wellbeing. Integrated, transformative approaches are needed to address the inequities that debt perpetuates across vulnerable communities.