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Poverty and mental health
The effects of stress on mental health
Poverty and mental health
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Mental health is a broad subject that touches on the psychological, emotional and social well-being of a person and how it affects the way they feel, think or act. Mental health is a fundamental element in the handling of stress, making choices, as well as creating and managing social relationships. Comprehensive understanding of the mental health will be useful in improving healthcare for persons living with mental health problems. According to World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 550 million people globally who live with mental and behavioural disorders which fall under the mental health subject (Kessler, 2010). Scientists and psychologists have realized the possibility of a correlation between poverty and mental health. It is …show more content…
Poverty is one of the most disadvantaging features to mental illness. Poverty results from variety of inequalities. For instance, unemployment, lack of access to education and low income contribute to poverty (The human face). Income is a person’s main source for support of basic living needs. Consuming nutritional food and clean water, living in a safe housing, affording weather appropriate clothing and personal hygiene are all tied to a person’s level of income. Therefore, one could argue these factors could be connected with a person’s mental health issues. For example, living in an expensive city like Vancouver, individuals suffer from low minimum wage and the high cost of living which may lead to more stress in their …show more content…
A person with higher education has a better chance of employment and therefore a better income as opposed to someone with a lower education. Therefore, those with lower levels of education are more likely to live below an adequate income level. Thus, this division leads to more stress, worry, depression and more mental illness in those that live in the poverty line. Studies have shown individuals with income and job security have better mental well being (Government of Canada,
According to The World Health Organisation (WHO) a Social Determinant of Health “Are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” Social determinates of health (The World Health Organisation, 2017). (Charted institute of Environmental Health, 2015) says that poor housing can lead to poor health and intensify existing health conditions meaning housing is a key determinant of health as it affects people from birth to older age. Throughout this essay the physical mental health needs of individuals, families and communities will be shown and how housing may affect this.
The lifestyle that people live in can ultimately change what your mental health standing can be. Social status is something that can be a huge determinant for someone’s mental health. Within Canada a lot of people worry what other people think of them. One way someone can feel excluded through life is through economic exclusions. If someone is looked at to be rich they are looked at to have a better mental health status, but if they are poor than they will be more susceptible to mental health issues in their life. When people have more money it means that they will have an easier life where they have nothing to worry about. Poor people are more likely to be mentally ill because they do not have the friends or support to help them get better.
Poverty in mental health prevents patients from seeking out medical attention due to lack of insurance. “insurance coverage disparities make mental health care less accessible than other forms of health care” (Safran, 2011). Due to lack of insurance patients are not receiving adequate care, such as being evaluated, receiving the appropriate treatments, and not going to doctor follow up appointments to ensure proper care. Without receiving proper treatment, it can cause the patient condition to get worse and would not have a chance of a successful outcome. Also, poverty can cause additional stress and anxiety making the mental illness progress. “The stresses of living with someone who has a mental health problem may be particularly pronounced for families who live in resource poor areas where treatment options, accurate information, and social support may be limited.” (Bischoff, 2017). Lack of attention is another health disparities, due to lack of attention, there is limited funding sources to help mental health patients. Since there is a lack of funding these individuals are not getting the appropriate help that is needed. As well since mental health lacks attention and funding, there are limited mental health institutions, so people who need to be institutionalized may be required to be relocated to another city/state. We must try our best to provide all resources for our patients and
Studies do show that low income can lead to poor mental health as well. People with low income will typically suffer from stress, depression, low self-esteem or stigma (Sieppert, 2004). Families that live in poverty are often geared away from getting an education, or secure employment (Poverty and Mental Illness, 2007). These families lack the health care that they need, health care does not necessarily need to be when you get injured, but mental health. Although, some may disagree, people with mental illnesses need just as much help. Families in poverty experience economic hardships, these could be things like losing a job, a house, or education (Poverty and Mental Illness, 2007). These are essential needs that everyone needs to be entitled to, to be able to live a healthy life. Losing these kinds of essentials will absolutely cause stress, which can sometime follow up with anxiety and depression (Poverty and Mental Illness, 2007). According to statistic, 1 in 5 people in Ontario will suffer from a mental illness, and 35% of those people are living on social support from the government (Poverty and Mental Illness, 2007). This stress could also come from how expensive basic living conditions are in
Over the last two decades, there have been numerous research studies that link mental health as the foundation for all health, social, organizational and educational recovery (Ormston, 2014; McLaren, Belling, Paul, Ford, Kramer, Weaver, Singh, 2013). The American society and the global world continues to witness catastrophic human induced incidences that often times point to the increasing need to pay attention to the declining state of a global mental health community. Evidence links the interconnectedness of the mind and body and attributes health and social problems direct linkage to inattention to mental health (Rubin, 2014). Despite medical, social and technological advances, we continue to lack understanding of the complexities of the human mind which has further alienated our understanding of ourselves.
Psychology of Poverty And Its Impact On Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved May 05, 2014, from Best MSW Program: http://www.bestmswprograms.com
In our culture, money, status, and social power all play a part in how individuals think that others perceive them. There is growing evidence that shows the link between socioeconomic status and unhealthy psychological outcomes in mental health. When looking at higher levels of socioeconomic status for youth it shows a more positive and healthy psychological outcome for youth and their mental health. Studies have shown that there are higher rates of attempted suicide, cigarette smoking and engaging in episodic heavy drinking (“Pardon Our Interruption”). Other studies have shown that lower levels of socioeconomic status have been linked to emotional and behavioral difficulties, like anxiety, depression, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorders (“Pardon Our
Poverty is defined as: the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. Poverty does not care what age, sex, race, or religion you are, poverty is not just what you see on television, it doesn’t just happen in third world countries, it is real and can be right in front of your face. I remember hearing stories on the radio and television of celebrities that were homeless before they made it big. After Jim Carrey’s father lost his job, they found themselves living out of a van. Charlie Chaplin was homeless and searching for food at the age of 14 after his father died and his mother was committed to a mental asylum. It can happen to anyone.
As understanding of this relationship grows, it becomes ever more apparent that mental health is crucial to not only the wellbeing of individuals but also societies and countries (WHO, 2001). A number of researches have tackled the different rising concerns about physical and mental health. It is in the 20th century where we have seen great improvements in health more than any other time in history. These major advances are results of new knowledge about the causes, prevention, and treatment of diseases that have been achieved through the consolidation of different individuals and organizations who only wish to make policies and programmes on health more accessible to many. Nonetheless, just as these studies increase in number people seem to not have the same regard to mental health as they do with physical health. People value their physical well-being and neglect their mental health concerns. They seem to have forgotten that neither physical nor mental health can exist alone. Mental health is also an integral part of human life and must be given importance as
The reason is because mental illness can affect any age group despite of race, ethnicity, and gender. It causes number of negative impacts to individuals, their families, and society. Therefore, it is very essential that we pay greater attention to promotion and prevention in mental health in order to reduce the burdens of mental illness. First of all, we can improve nutrition for people, especially children living in poverty by providing nutritional interventions such as food supplementation (WHO, 2004, p.24). Good nutrition helps them to maintain good physical health and improves education outcomes. It reduces their risks for mental illness. Another prevention strategy which could be very cost effective is early intervention programs such as home visiting program during pregnancy and early infancy (WHO, 2004, p.27). This program benefits for the mothers and the infant. The parents are educated in parental skills, and health risks of smoking or substances use. This program is very effective in preventing or reducing child abuse or neglect. For children who have parents with mental illness or family disruptions such as divorced parents, parental death, there are school-based programs providing social supports and reduce stigmatization. It decreases their risk of developing depressive disorder and behavioral problems (WHO, 2004, p.31). Improving social support is also the prevention strategy
You don’t have to come from a poor family or be homeless to suffer from a mental illness. For instance, some very well-known people have suffered from the various disorders. This is to further illustrate, that not only poor people, or people from broken homes suffer from these mental disorders that the disorders don’t care about how much money you make or who your parents are. It also could care less about what race you are or what church you belong too. If you are young or old if you work on wall street or ride on the back of a garbage truck picking up the city’s trash. It can strike anyone so let’s take a look at a few of these people well known
The effects of poverty can affect a parent’s mental health that can directly impact children. Mental health problems that parents in poverty face can be related to the stress of not having enough money to care for the children. Other mental health problems, like depression, can als...
Low socioeconomic status is one-factor influencing mental health. With a low income, there is the struggle with food insecurity. Food insecurity is a limited or uncertain
As proven in academic articles, the homeless population is exponentially high worldwide. While there are many factors that may be contributing to this problem, one of the biggest may be mental health problems. Whether it is the cost of treating a mental health problem or the nature of the mental health disorder itself, it seems to lead to being low-income or homeless. While there are some studies out there that have studied this phenomenon, there is still a great need for information related to mental health causing homelessness. This idea has led to the formation of this research project, which is searching for a correlation between mental health and the homeless or low-income population in order to understand it better
It is deeply alarming that ignoring mental health is systematically ignored as an important part of health promotion. This is shocking because, in theory, mental health is recognized as an important component of health, the close link between physical and mental health is recognized, and it is generally known that physical and mental health share many of the same social, environmental and economic components. We know that facilities dedicated to those with mental health problems are more vulnerable to the resources of physical diseases in many parts of the world, and it is essential that mental health promotion should not be equally affected