Multiple Stressors On Children 's Blood Pressure Essay

“Socioeconomic status is a complex construct that is based on household income, material resources, education, and occupation, as well as related neighborhood and family characteristics, such as exposure to violence and toxins, parental care and provision of a cognitively stimulating environment.” (Hackman et Al, 2010) Research has shown that low socioeconomic status has a huge impact on mental health in children and adolescents, primarily due to the associated stress and effects related to poverty. There are three primary factors or levels through which poverty affects children/adolescents: individual, relational, and institutional.

Some scholars believe that the negative impact poverty has on health of children is the reason for, continuing physical pressure and persistent childhood hunger can a result for a child to have a challenge in education and eventually lead a child to be less successful in the school. A 2016 research presented the idea that the childhood poverty reduces one’s life outlook within adulthood. Definitely, in most cases, it happened even without the family’s living situation or income. While related to their financially- stable equals, poor children in the United States of America are more suitable to present diminished well -being as well as numerous development issue (Arrighi and Maume 138). These facts were revealed by checking different areas, involving physical well-being, cognitive issues, school performance consequences, psychological and behavioral consequences. Therefore, the child poverty places

A report by Jack Shonkoff found that toxic stress can hinder the social and economic prospects of a child. The report examines the evidence of the disruptive impacts of toxic stress, offering insights into the mechanisms that link early childhood adversity to later impairments in learning, behavior, and both physical and emotional well-being. The implications suggest that many adult diseases should be views as developmental disorders that began in early childhood and that persistent health disparities associated with poverty, discrimination, or maltreatment could be reduced by the alleviation of toxic stress in childhood

According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, over 16 million children (22%) in the United States live below the federal poverty level, which is $23,550 per year for a family of four. Research has shown that a family requires an income of about twice that amount just to cover basic needs and expenses. Using these statistics, 45% of children in the US live in low-income households. Most parents of low-income children are employed, but unsteady employment accompanied with low wages leave families struggling to make ends meet. The effects of poverty on children are numerous and long lasting, such as impaired learning ability as well as social, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. Childhood poverty can also contribute to poor physical and mental health. Research has shown that poverty is the greatest threat to s child’s well-being, but public policies can make a difference when they are implemented effectively.

The purpose of this article is to bring awareness that low income leads to complicated issues. Specific data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Longitudinal study of Youth examined households living in poverty, for a relationship between the minimum wage and psychological behaviors. Using a cross sectional analysis, the author explored the gap between the US and other country’s income levels. The findings show that although the US is high ranking in income levels, it is also ranked high in the poverty level. Additional, findings indicate that there is a relationship between families living in poverty and psychological behaviors, including a higher level of depression and other behavioral issues. The author found that children living in poverty are at higher risk of developing physical and psychological disorders, than children not living in poverty. This article pointed out the correlation between the minimum wage and psychological disorders. While the study did not include a longitudinal study of children in other countries, it did address an important area of research in psychological behaviors due to income inequality. The author made a compelling case that families living in poverty are more inclined to develop behavioral issues, than those families

2012); in other words, they live in households with incomes below the federal poverty line. To know this is important because poverty is considered a critical risk factor for many mental, emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth (Yoshikawa, et al. 2012). According to Minujin, et al. (2005), “UNICEF defines child poverty as the deprivation of social services. To expand a little more on this, the concept is that children living in poverty are those who are deprived from the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to survive, develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy their rights, achieve their full potential or participate as full and equal members of society (Minujin, et al. 2005). More importantly many studies have associated poverty with a range of negative outcomes for children in all social, emotional and cognitive areas of development (Yoshikawa, et al. 2012); however, the question that Yoshikawa et al. (2012) in their article is can we certify that poverty “causes” negative outcomes? Their immediate response was skeptic; however, I think that poverty might not be the cause of mental health illnesses but it does influence the development of it and sets children under the radar for treatment and accessing services. Furthermore, the impact of poverty and social disadvantage on children’s health is further evidence that poverty is a serious risk factor for mental illness (Gyamfi, 2004). In his article, Gyamfi (2004)

Conger, R. D., Ge, X., Elder, G. H., Lorenz, F. O., & Simons, R. L. (1994). Economic stress, coercive family process, and developmental problems of adolescents. Child Development, 65, 541–561.

There is a link between poverty and high stress levels affecting physical and mental health in all ages. Access to quality recreational programs are essential for child development and health (Alaimo & Olson, 2001). Theses chronic stressors of income has an affect on childhood development as the material deprivation and lack of socialization can lead to depression in children. Childhood poverty establishes increased rates of depression and anti-social behavior. This poverty cycle and behavior changes transpires into anxiety disorders, depression, drug and alcohol dependencies in adulthood (McMullin, 2010 pg. 263).

These high levels of stress hinder children’s performance and academic success in school (Iceland 88). The mental toll of poverty is connected to relative poverty because it prevents poor people from fully participating in society and reaching their maximum potential.

Poverty causes most stress within households and has an impact on the healthy development of a child.

The psychological health of children around the world is detrimental to their abilities to cope, succeed and be able to function normally within social settings. According to Evans and Shamberg ( 2009), “Chronically elevated physiological stress is a plausible model for how poverty could get into the brain and eventually interfere with achievement” (p. 6545- 6549). Children residing in poverty stricken neighborhoods and families tend to experience environmental stressors as well as physical stressors such as educational setbacks, lack of resources and physical demands that are not being met. These stressors can cause a problem in the psychological health of children because of the need to continually adjust to changes and setbacks that stem from poverty.

Children who have socioeconomically disadvantaged families have more risk of developing mental illness. In other words, poor children have more mental problems than wealthy children. There are three theories that McLeod and Shanahan studied about the relationship between poverty histories and children 's mental health trajectories. First hypothesis they tested “children 's mental health problems may remain at a stable, high level even when economic circumstances improve”. Second hypothesis is that “children whose poverty continues into the future may experience stable or increasing

Approximately one in five children in the United States lives in poverty, according to the American Psychological Association. (Children from low-income families face increased risk factors in their

Two common pressures that can tear at marriages are the demands of careers and the demands of children's schedules. In today's society we see much less emphasis placed on "family first" and more focus and energy going into carrier demands and activities. We work hard and we play hard.

Poverty can lead to serious effects. Children who grow up in poverty are likely to have frequent health problems than the children who grow in better financial circumstances. For example, infants who are born into poverty have a low birth weight, and they grow up with mental or physical disabilities. Not only are they sick, but they are most likely to die before their first birthday. Children who are raised in poverty might miss school often because of their illnesses, and they have a much higher accident rate than the other children. Nearly a billion of the world’s population can’t read nor write. Poor families experience stress much more than a normal family does. They are more likely to be exposed to negative events such as illness, job loss, death of a family member, and depression. Homelessness is another effect of poverty. Homeless children are less likely to receive proper nutrition, protection and they experience more health problems. Around 1.4 million children die each year from lack of access to safe and clean water and proper nutrition. Homeless women experience a high rate of low birth weight infants as well as miscarriages. Families who do not have homes receive much more stress than other families. They also have disruption in school, work, friendships, and family relationships. There are other effects of poverty such as drug abuse and addiction, child and woman abuse, debts pressure, and increase in crimes.