Mental
illness varies from different disorders and it all affects income because medication
and treatment is expensive. Some of the disorders can be psychotic, anxiety,
mood, personality, eating, sleeping disorders. For people who aren’t wealthy,
it’s more difficult to keep up with the expenses of mental illness. Income
being affected by mental illness causes poverty and a person to lose their jobs
or end up homeless. “When people are mentally ill, they suffer social stigma,
have higher health cost, and are at an increased risk of becoming poor” (Entin).
It’s already difficult enough to make a living and having a mental disorder
makes it more complicates and adds stress to an individual. The middle class
and upper class are able to afford medical treatment rather than the lower
class and working class.
Mental
illness affects lower class income extremely because it’s classified as
poverty, homelessness, and unemployment. People from lower class lack medical
care which is a struggle to be able to afford medical treatment. “People who
live in poverty are at increased risk of mental illness compared to their
economically stable peers. Their lives are stressful. They are both witness to
and victims of more violence and trauma than those who are reasonably well off,
and they are at high risk of poor general health and malnutrition” (Entin). It’s
already stressful to live in poor conditions and having mental illness makes it
more frustrating to deal with because knowing that one is not able to treat
their disorder is frustrating.
Mental
illness affects income in the working class because working minimum wage jobs
is not enough to afford medical care. “When people using mental health services
are asked about the major issues that concern them in their daily lives,
personal finances are consistently identified as a major source of difficulty
and distress. 1 in 3 people with a serious mental health condition is thought
to be in debt. Concerns and anxieties regarding finance constitute a
significant stressor” (Poverty and Mental Health). Finance will always be an
issue for those whose income is low. Unfortunately, mental illness is expensive
to be treated and medication can also be expensive to keep up with if one
doesn’t have any insurance or financial help.
Children
are affected by their parent’s low income of not being able to afford medical
treatment. It also brings stress to children especially if they have a mental
illness. “They concluded that disadvantaged schools, deprived neighbourhoods,
low socio-economic status, parental unemployment, cohabiting, large family
size, and poverty were not independently associated with disorder. Individually
assessed child and family factors may be more influential than aggregate
measures of school and neighbourhood factors” (poverty and mental health).
Children’s well being is important for their own health. Children and young
people still depend on their parent’s income for stability and that can cause a
mental illness for overstressing about income.
In
conclusion, the middle and upper class income is more likely to afford medical
treatment for any psychological disorder compared to lower classes. While
working good jobs people are less likely to be financially stressed because
their income is not affected. They are able to make a good living and pay for
insurance and medical expenses compared to the lower classes. For those who are
living in poverty it makes it more difficult to find a job and that interferes
with being able to get the right treatment for mental illness. Mental illness
is expensive to get treatment and it does affect income.
Resources:
Poverty and Mental Health | Doctor | Patient.co.uk. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Poverty-and-Mental-Health.htm
Entin, E. (2011, October 26). Poverty and Mental Health: Can
the 2-Way Connection Be Broken? Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/10/poverty-and-mental-health-can-the-2-way-connection-be-broken/247275/
Your blog post was very informative. I agree that it is very difficult to maintain a healthy living in a lower class status. As you mention, it is very frustrating to know the one's health is poor and not have the economic resources to better their health. At many times, it seems as if mental illness occurs in poorer communities simply because of stress. This can also lead to drug abuse, which can therefore lead to even worse health problems.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, it is my understanding from your post that poorer communities often lack the resources to help those with mental illness. I could not agree enough! Living in poorer communites often make things harder. Many health facilities for mental illness are not located in the heart of poor communities. Thus, making it harder for those that are mentally ill to find treatment. Living in such locations also means that children have lack of education and treatment themselves. It also means that there is a higher risk for self medication and drug abuse. You made very good points and references in regards to mental illness and poverty.