Mental Illness and Poverty

1. Mental Illness and Poverty

2. Mental Illness Leads to Living in Poverty

3. According to the World Health Organization :Mental illness leading cause of ill-health and disability worldwide

4. Once Mental Illness is Disabling: SSI dependent due to few work quarters. Living on $623, plus $81 from MSA, plus $10 in Food Stamps. One will always live in poverty.

5. Living in Poverty • SSDI if enough work quarters or if under 18 when diagnosed (can be on parent's Social Security) • Extra $20 for SSDI if at the SSI level • SSDI around $1400 – but will still live at or barely above the poverty line

6. Living in Poverty • Medicaid and Medicare • Housing supports, unstable housing • Energy Assistance • Food Shelves • Very high unemployment

7. Additional Burdens • Long term institutional/hospitalization leads to loss of housing • Poor housing records • Homelessness • Criminalization Leads to a vicious circle in terms of housing and poor rental risk

8. I know poverty first hand. I have had to rely on virtually every program and benefit available, including food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, a section 8 voucher …legal aid, donated dental programs, low-income energy assistance programs—you name it. Everyday expenses, such as needing dental work, new glasses, replacing worn clothing, replacing broken appliances, etc., are prohibitive, let alone the ever-increasing cost of food, transportation, and housing. My parents have helped me out some, such as buying me a television and computer, and letting me use their car - things I could not possibly afford on my own.

9. Living in Poverty Leads to Mental Illness

10. Chicken and EggDoes Poverty Cause Mental Illness or Does Mental Illness Cause Poverty? 2005 Research – increasingly strong evidence that socioeconomic status is indeed a very important dimension of mental illness, though not the only dimension.

11. Causes • Many causal links between poverty and mental illness, particularly depression • People living in poverty face more threatening events, entrapping life events, poor social connections, poor self-image, loss of control over life

12. Findings • Schizophrenia more likely to pull people into poverty • Depression more likely to be caused by poverty (some say twice as high) • This does not dismiss the biological component of mental illness

13. The Effect of Stress • Some people have a higher chance of developing a mental illness • High levels of stress can trigger mental illness

14. Effect of Stress Stress can be considered two ways: • Acute stress - bereavement, losing a job etc… this is sometimes referred to as stress resulting from life events • Chronic stress - results from things such as living in poverty, exposure to violence, unhappy relationships, etc.

15. Creates a Cycle • If a person has had mental illness they have a much higher chance of becoming ill again • Having a mental illness causes additional stress such as loss of self confidence, loss of status, loss of job, homelessness, rejection by the community, criticism, rejection etc…

16. Summary • If you have a serious mental illness you are more likely to live in poverty • If you live in poverty you are more likely to develop a mental illness

17. Next Steps • More mental health providers in low-income communities • Pair mental health programs with poverty programs • Increase job, education and housing programs • Work to alleviate children living in poverty which can have a positive affect on children’s mental health

18. Sue Abderholden Executive Director NAMI Minnesota 800 Transfer Road, Suite 7A St. Paul, MN 55114 www.namimn.org 651-645-2948 1-888-NAMI-HELPS sabderholden@nami.org