Poverty and Mental Health
It’s not often we see poverty and mental health in the same sentence. But we should. These two are not only insidious, hard to spot and underrepresented issues that are lived realities for Australians everywhere, but they are also joined at the hip – a connection that has only recently begun to be explored and validated. With the relationship between mental health and poverty both being one in which the two both intersect and give rise to each other, it’s become apparent that understanding the nuances of the ways in which this duo interacts is key to developing successful action plans that will support millions of Aussies.
For two things that we’d think to be so different, poverty and mental health have a great deal in common. Both in a sense, can be epitomised by the effort and struggle to achieve wellbeing. For poverty, we immediately associate that with financial wellbeing and with mental health, our thoughts go to emotional wellbeing. Categorised in this way, it’s hard to see the connection. However, upon honing in on the human aspect, the felt experience of poverty and mental health, that’s when the links and overlaps reveal themselves. The wellbeing of humans is dynamic and holistic, so despite wellbeing consisting of sub-groups, each comprising of their own elements and unique challenges, one aspect of wellbeing very much affects the other.
Identifying the role entrenched stigma plays here is paramount to seeing the human face behind the poverty/mental health duo. And when life happens, as it does, and a stigmatised living situation suddenly becomes the reality, the product is shame. Unwarranted, deep-seated, soul-crushing shame. It is this shame that has a domino effect: the resulting low self-esteem, feelings of low self-worth and fear of being a burden or seen as less than leading into isolation, burn out and loneliness. From there, it’s a downward spiral which can otherwise be described as a miserable rut of yuck. With this as the status quo, it’s hard to imagine any reprieve. Thoughts of the future quickly turn menacing, with the uncertainty of what’s next and the anxiety and dread of anticipating hurdles to come building up, the uphill battle of tomorrow is dispiriting at best, with hope for the future being fantastical or absent entirely. When a day getting by means floundering and constantly resisting the undertow, and accepting help an encoded taboo, those struggling with poverty and mental health not only share a painful common ground but remain vulnerable to aftershocks that see to them more likely to experience the other one of the two of this formidable pair.
With those in poverty more likely to experience mental health challenges and vice versa, the relationship between financial wellbeing and emotional wellbeing becomes that much more complicated. Why? Because it can wind up being a vicious cycle, with systemic injustice forcing individuals into a worsening loop. There are many ways this can look with one possible chain being as follows: the stress and uphill battle of navigating poverty -> challenges with mental health -> difficulty finding supportive employment (heightening economic insecurity) or difficulty maintaining an unmanageable status quo (risking burn out and further decline in mental health) -> working capacity and thus earning capacity is reduced -> and so, the cycle starts again. Skipping over the cost and accessibility of psychological support and the increased difficulty individuals with lower socioeconomic status face in sleeping ad eating well, even contending with increased exposure to pollution and hazards, it’s not hard to imagine how the innumerable intersectional outcomes can railroad a person.
It’s indeed quite the connection that poverty and mental health share. One that explored here, is grim. But it isn’t strictly so. Poverty and mental health are connected, that much has been established - but this connection can be worked and turned on its head, with a reduction in poverty improving mental health and vice versa, there is unimaginable potential to transform this link with its unforgiving loop into a wholesome and heartening cycle that provides the way out and up for people in financial and/or emotional distress. While rectifying this loop will not happen overnight, solutions are possible. Despite solutions in the pipeline, it’s not uncommon to be feeling discouraged when met with systemic-heavy, time-demanding solutions. However, zeroing in on the circle of influence can provide much needed clarity and direction. By working locally to counteract stigma with messages and networks of support, communities can not only remove the barrier to accessing help, but in doing so, are helping to break that vicious cycle, putting freedom and hope back on the horizon.
