Summary: The Affect Of Poverty On Mental Health

Terr, L. C. (1991). Childhood traumas: an outline and overview. Am J Psychiatry, 1, 48.

Poverty, a common problem in the US and yet, something that people consistently overlook. We are often unaware of the magnitude of poverty in the U.S and sometimes even disregard it. People living in destitution are at greater risk for behavioral and mental problems. Children or Teens who live in poverty are prone to poor academic achievements, become school dropouts , or grow subject to abuse or neglect. People in poverty also occasionally show signs of anxiety and depression.

Childhood trauma is not just widely prevalent but also has pervasive implications for diverse areas of functioning (van der Kolk, 2005). However, research indicates that childhood trauma assessment is often prevented by the social taboos associated with such events as neglect, abuse and exposure to violence yet it is important to acknowledge this. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Studies indicate that there is a very strong relationship between early adverse childhood experiences and other long-term effects such as depression, attempts of suicide, abusing substances like alcohol, cigarette or drugs, domestic violence, reduced physical activity, obesity, sexual promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases. They also predispose people to develop physical ailments such as heart disease, diabetes,

The likelihood of development of a mental illness and suicidal behavior increases with exposure to childhood trauma. One single childhood adverse

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) such as neglect and abuse have the capacity to increase the likelihood of disease, social problems, sexual issues and mental health issues later in adulthood. A dysfunctional home life experience as a child also is also implemented and impacts physical, mental, social and sexual health and wellbeing as an adult.

People living in poverty think about what their next meal is or how they are going to feed their child. Poverty makes a person mentally stress causing them to have depression. The depression then leads to drugs or alcohol which is bringing them down. “Poor black men won't support their families, won't stick by their women -- all they think about is the street, dope and liquor, women, a piece of ass, and their cars. That's all that counts” (). Poverty impacts the individual’s health because they can’t afford the healthy food because it is expensive. The individual will purchase the white bread because it is cheaper but, they know it is not that healthy. People living in poverty might not buy that many fruits and vegetables. Not eating healthy leads to being obese or other health problems. “Poverty and illness together make people much more vulnerable and needy at all stages of their lives, and even more so in old age. Mental health is often both a cause and a consequence of poverty, compromised education, vulnerability, difficulty accessing housing, health-care and employment, and lack of access to welfare, social security, and community public

Childhood trauma contributes to the development of disorders later in life. Several psychological disorders may be caused by childhood trauma. These disorders may include: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, addiction, borderline personality disorder, and dissociative identity disorder.

Of all social determinants of health, we can agree that the most insidious and universal might be poverty because this economic factor influence health in several ways, and it can be both physically and mentally damaging. Poverty affects every aspect of our lives; it determines the distribution of resources; the food we can afford, the access and ability to health care, the level

Attempting to make ends meet, those who are living in poverty are more likely to suffer from financial stress and mental health issues, as well as physical health

Poverty defintly factors into the aging process. According to Novak, “Research has found that early life experiences influence health in later life (103).” Therefore, low socioeconomic status can lead to destructive behavior. People with a low socioeconomic status tend to smoke, remain physically inactive, and abuse drugs and alcohol. Therefore, they face many health issues later on in life.

Dr. Nadine Burks Harris talks about the Adverse Childhood Experiences study during her lecture. What has been discovered is that those who have suffered from childhood trauma have a greater chance of developing health complications versus those who have not been exposed to trauma. In the Adverse Childhood Experiences study was conducted by Dr. Vince Felitti at Kaiser and Dr. Bob Anda and the CDC, together they asked 17,500 adults about their history of exposure to adverse childhood experiences (Harris). Experiences meaning: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, physical or emotional neglect, parental mental illness, substance dependence, incarceration, parental separation or divorce. For every yes they answered

[and] reviewed the children's academic functioning, such as whether they were engaged in school or repeated grades. The study found that 48% of U.S. children had at least one of the nine adverse childhood experiences . . . There also appeared to be a dose-response relationship of adverse childhood events such that the more negative events the child experienced, the more likely the children were to have special health care needs through adulthood.”

The impact that the social-structural position has towards health are clearly evident, and has been a problem for generations. The fundamental towards this is that those individuals of high social economical classes are less likely to face illnesses then those of lower social economical classes. Throughout this essay, I will discuses how poorer individuals are more likely to face extreme amounts of stress, and how this stress is directly related to poor health and several health issues. Throughout the article, Five Ways Poverty Hurts Mental Health, by Toni Paz (2018), he discusses the several ways that poverty and health are correlated.

The key concept of this literature review is to better understand how childhood trauma is associated with mental health, such as post-traumatic stress disorder

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.