Poverty happens to be a catch-all when it comes to negatively impacting people. Unfortunately, it seems mental health is one of the many things that poverty impacts. Mental health can indeed be impacted by socioeconomic conditions. There are many ways that this happens. A person in poverty could be overworked and underpaid and that could impact their mental health. Another reason could be the fact that people in poverty have less access to mental health services. Whatever the reason, of which there are many, poverty seems to be a major player in the battle against mental illness.
To Go Without
To exist in poverty is to exist without. This simple fact about the existence of poverty shows everything that needs to be seen. Poor people have to work to the bone to survive and many times they end up having to sacrifice things. For example, some women have to choose between feminine hygiene products and their monthly rent. This isn’t the only example of this kind of situation either. Another example would be the families that have their lights, water, or electricity cut off.
Lower on Average
The existence of constant threat of one’s basic needs not being met can take a toll on the mind. As a result, the average mental health of a person in a lower-income neighborhood tends to be much worse than a person in a high-income neighborhood. Here is a quote confirming this: “People living in socially underprivileged and poor city areas suffer more often from mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and psychosis than persons living in high-income neighborhoods” according to Perspectives in Poverty and mental health 2022.
Lower Access
Unfortunately, people in poverty have less access to mental health resources. This means, by default these people would have less access to the tools and resources they would need to maintain a healthy mind. Mental health services like therapy and counseling are less accessible to those from low-income backgrounds. As a consequence, this means that the people who need mental health services the most end up getting it the least. Here is a quote on the topic “ Despite their high need for mental health services, children and families living in poverty are least likely to be connected with high-quality mental health care.” according to a 2017 study.
Dead Dreams
Moreover, part of what defines people in poverty is their lack of access to the things they need to survive. However, what also defines their existence is their lack of access to things that make them feel fulfilled. For example, imagine a child wanting to start martial arts, but all the good martial arts schools charge too much for that family. That child wouldn’t be able to pursue their dream of being an accomplished martial artist. This can negatively impact mental health as well. Unfortunately, the example that was given applies to many people existing in poverty. There are the few that make it out of poverty off of hard work or talent but they are the overwhelming minority. The fact of the matter is that dreams die when people can’t pay for them. So in many cases, low-income neighborhoods are where dreams go to die.
A Systemic Need
In conclusion, mental health is greatly impacted by socioeconomic conditions. People in poverty need more access to mental health resources. Many places are attempting to fill the need with free services, however non for profits will never fill a systemic need. At the end of the day, the American government may need to step in and create mental health infrastructure. This could look like a mental healthcare system equivalent to the American healthcare system. Ultimately, something needs to happen for the people that need it the most because they are the least likely to receive the help they need.
Written by Kenneth Mazerat
Sources
Marbin, Derin, et al. “Perspectives in Poverty and Mental Health.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 7 July 2022, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.975482/full.
Hodgkinson, Stacy et al. “Improving Mental Health Access for Low-Income Children and Families in the Primary Care Setting.” Pediatrics vol. 139,1 (2017): e20151175. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-1175
TheGuardian: Mental illness and poverty: you can’t tackle one without the other by Dean Burnett
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First Inset Image Courtesy of saird’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
