Title: Mental Health and Poverty. Mental health info from Patient | Patient
Headings: Poverty and Mental Health
Poverty and Mental Health
This article is for Medical Professionals
Employment
Unemployment
Debt
Inequality
Child poverty
Immigration
Urban environment
Substance abuse
Criminality
Poor physical health
Further reading and references

Content: Poor general health and life events were related to emotional disorders. Conduct disorders were most closely associated with family variables. ADHD was only related to child characteristics. 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. Evidence from the 1958 and 1970 British prospective birth cohort studies cited socio-economic deprivation as one of the issues which affected childhood mental well-being. Do interventions work? A Cochrane Review found no benefits to child mental health from studies looking at the use of financial support to poor families. However, they also comment that the studies were limited given the small increases in total household income, the lack of conditions as to the use of the money and strict conditions for receipt of payments. Adults who have grown up in financial hardship are more likely to experience mental health problems (and adult poverty).