Mental Disorders
Mental illness is seriously becoming a major health problem globally. There is a steady increase in the condition yearly, especially in the United Kingdom (Wongkoblap et al., 2017). Statistics show that 33% of the population suffers from depression and related health causes such as drug substances, poverty, and adequate health resources. Mental disorders affect anyone irrespective of an individual’s social status. Therefore, health organizations need to create awareness among populations to enable those suffering from mental illnesses to seek help before heightening the risks levels. This study discusses evidence linking poverty with mental disorders and how poverty might interact with mental health.
Evidence linking Poverty
Poverty affects the socio-economic status of individuals, thus pressing stressors that affect health and wellbeing (Acri et al., 2017). For instance, unemployment, lack of food, unstable housing conditions, gender based violence issues, and drug use contribute to an increase in mental disorders such as depression. When individuals can no longer sustain themselves with their basic needs, they are likely to face challenges and are at a higher risk of falling into depression. For instance, during the covid-19 virus, most individuals’ lifestyles changed, and studies indicated an increase of mental disorders, especially among the low and middle income countries.
Poverty and Mental Health
An individual’s mental health is characterized by the economic, social, and environment in which they are born and brought up (Knifton & Inglis, 2020). Therefore, poverty remains a major determinant associated with a child’s development and behavioral change; hence an individual’s social class status can affect how they interact, communicate and even perceive things in their lives. For instance, a jobless single mother raising her five children is forced to look for various alternatives to earn a living for her family. While trying her best, the children are exposed to harsh lifestyle conditions such as an unclean environment and poor living conditions. Unlike their age mates, their behaviors tend to change, and they begin to develop behaviors such as using drugs involvement in crimes that affect their mental state (Knifton & Inglis, 2020). As they grow, they are likely to become aggressive and be uncontrollable because of life situations.
References
Acri, M. C., Bornheimer, L. A., Jessell, L., Heckman Chomancuzuk, A., Adler, J. G., Gopalan, G., & McKay, M. M. (2017). The intersection of extreme poverty and familial mental health in the United States. Social work in mental health, 15(6), 677-689. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15332985.2017.1319893?casa_token=MwWfJEyALmsAAAAA:x65OzOSgFKkQOIenaGBzPVrIOlnl2qPZ1aZMLYt_ZP45-C1CcySur3LNbbF2_RBhWyyRm6-Z7LEojPs
https://www.jmir.org/2017/6/e228/
Knifton, L., & Inglis, G. (2020). Poverty and mental health: policy, practice and research implications. BJPsych bulletin, 44(5), 193-196. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/19B8515B721B6E4E14E5DA54587C10DB/S2056469420000789a.pdf/div-class-title-poverty-and-mental-health-policy-practice-and-research-implications-div.pdf
Wongkoblap, A., Vadillo, M. A., & Curcin, V. (2017). Researching mental health disorders in the era of social media: systematic review. Journal of medical Internet research, 19(6), e228. https://www.jmir.org/2017/6/e228/
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