- Living in poverty can significantly harm people鈥檚 mental health, according to recent scientific studies
- People living in poor neighbourhoods are more likely to develop mental health problems and less likely to recover from depression and anxiety symptoms
- People living in poverty are facing material and social barriers to accessing support
The research, published in the journal Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, indicates that a chronic lack of money can be damaging to people鈥檚 health and wellbeing 鈥 something which currently isn鈥檛 widely acknowledged by policy makers and mental healthcare providers.
Edited by Dr Jaime Delgadillo, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of 葫芦影业, the international collection of research featured in a special edition of this journal indicates that people living in poverty are more likely to develop mental health problems, which could be related to their increased exposure to adverse life events and a chronic state of unmet material and emotional needs.
The studies presented in the journal examine the relationship between social inequalities and psychological care.
Together, the findings show that people living in poverty are less likely to start treatment for mental health problems. Once they do start treatment, they are more likely to have ongoing mental health problems after the treatment is completed, and they face a range of material (e.g. lack of transportation) and social (e.g. stigma) barriers to accessing support.
People living in poverty... often can鈥檛 afford basic things like childcare support or transportation needed to get to mental healthcare services.
Dr Jaime Delgadillo
Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of 葫芦影业
The studies also indicate that people living in poor neighbourhoods are less likely to recover from depression and anxiety symptoms after psychological treatment, compared to people from more affluent neighbourhoods.
Furthermore, research suggests that mental health practitioners often fail to recognise the role that socioeconomic factors have on their patients鈥 wellbeing, and are therefore less able to understand their plight and to meet their needs. This may be further complicated by educational and social class disparities between professionals and patients.
Dr Delgadillo, who edited the collection of research papers, said:
鈥淚t鈥檚 becoming clearer that poverty and poor mental health are closely connected, but this connection is yet to be recognised by policy makers and mental health care providers.
鈥淧eople living in poverty face a range of barriers when it comes to getting appropriate support for mental health problems. They often can鈥檛 afford basic things like childcare support or transportation needed to get to mental healthcare services.
There is also still considerable stigma around mental health problems and asking for support can be very difficult, particularly for people living in poverty.
What鈥檚 more alarming is that mental health services working in the poorest neighbourhoods often lack funding and resources to meet the increased demand for treatment."
He added: 鈥淢oney can鈥檛 buy happiness, but increased funding for mental health and social care services would certainly help to enable the poorest in our society to access the help that they need.鈥