Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Low Income Impacts Mental HealthFood InsecurityCommunity ViolenceSchool-to-Prison PipelineBarriers to Accessing Mental Health CareHow to Cultivate Change

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Low Income Impacts Mental Health

Food Insecurity

Community Violence

School-to-Prison Pipeline

Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Care

How to Cultivate Change

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Poverty can wreak havoc onpersonal relationships, createtrauma, and lead to physical health issues. Living with low income doesn’t only impact one’s ability to have consistent access tofood,safe shelter, and basic needs, but it can also severely impact one’s mental health.

Mental health isn’t only a function of psychological and emotional well-being. But physical health, a sense of community, andbelonging, and access to education can be major contributors to whether or not your mental health is at its best.

What Is the Cycle of Violence?

Nutritionis incredibly important for our mental health, serving as a strong intervention and prevention for mental health ailments.

However, when experiencing poverty, it isn’t uncommon to go to bed hungry and survive off a diet that lacks enoughnutrients.

What to Do If You’re Food Insecure

If you’re experiencing food insecurity, there is help. Contact your local social services office to apply for public food assistance, formerly known as food stamps.

These government-founded provisions are accepted at most farmer’s markets and health food stores, ensuring accessibility to nutritious food options.

You can also look into your local community-supported agriculture (CSA) organization. They often offer boxes filled with fresh produce at a sliding scale rate.

Some other options include the following:

Some impoverished communities may also experience high rates of crime and violence. This turmoil is linked to adverse mental health outcomes.

What Does It Mean To Be Anti-racist?

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to ways in which school discipline can lead to fractured family relationships, increase the risk of students dropping out of school, which statistics show ultimately lead to a higher likelihood of future incarceration.

Studies show thatstudents of color, those withdisabilities, and children of lowersocioeconomic statusare more vulnerable to the school-to-prison pipeline.

Suspension and Expulsion

Lower socioeconomic status is correlated with a higher risk of suspension or expulsion.While research on the exact reason whychildrenwith lower socioeconomic status are prone to higher levels of suspension is still developing, it is suggested that students with lower socioeconomic status are subject to more stressors and disadvantages than their peers with a higher socioeconomic status.

In turn, these stressors may manifest in achildengaging in disruptive externalizing behavior due to the immense stress a lower socioeconomic status can bring.For example, lacking food security may impact a child’s ability to pay attention in class. As a result, school personnel may not be equipped to assess for mental health issues and instead turn to punitive discipline practices like suspension.

Suspension and expulsion can lead to a lack of connection and negative mental health outcomes. Additionally, students who experiencedepressionregularly are more likely to be suspended.This may be due to how children and adolescents can displayanger, such as through defiance or withdrawal from others.

Mental health professionals and school personnel that have not received adequate training may overlook behavioral issues as a symptom of depression or other mental health problems and instead revert to oppressive discipline practices like suspension.

The Mental Health Effects of Living in Foster Care

Financial constraints are major barriers to accessing mental health care for those with low income.Therapy is a luxury,with the average monthly out-of-pocket costfor mental health care being $178. There are avenues to receive subsidized or free mental health care; however, a lack of mainstream knowledge about these resources can pose an additional barrier. Some other specific financial barriers and stressors can include:

Stigmais another barrier to accessing care. Self-stigma can be particularly problematic in accessing adequate mental health care. Self-stigma is when someone has internalized negative beliefs about themselves due to mental illness. In turn, this can lead to feelings of disempowerment, decreased quality of life, and a failure to access proper treatment.

How to Access Affordable Mental Health Treatment

No one should have to go without mental health care due tofinancial issues. Furthermore, the stressors associated with being unable to meet your basic needs due to income restrictions only cause further mental health strain. Fortunately, there areoptionsto get the support you need.

Some Organizations Will Help Pay for Your Therapy Sessions

Some organizations provide cash aid to fund therapy sessions. Below are a few that you can reach out to:

Consider reaching out to your local social services to see if any nonprofits are providing free therapy in your area. Often, organizations will provide free services from therapists-in-training. Also, many community agencies may have medical discount cards available for purchase.

You can also check in with local universities, as some schools offer free or significantly reduced-cost counseling from students in their graduate psychology programs. Additionally, private practices may be able to offer asliding scale.

How People’s Prejudices Develop

How to Cultivate Change in Your Community

Healing is a communal practice; we all should support others in getting well. So, here areways to help othersimprove their mental health, no matter their income status:

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Knifton L, Inglis G.Poverty and mental health: policy, practice and research implications.BJPsych Bull. 44(5):193-196. doi: 10.1192/bjb.2020.78

Grajek M, Krupa-Kotara K, Białek-Dratwa A, et al.Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health.Front Nutr.2022;9:943998. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.943998

National Institute of Mental Health.Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Mizel ML, Miles JNV, Pedersen ER, Tucker JS, Ewing BA, D’Amico EJ.To educate or to incarcerate: Factors in disproportionality in school discipline.CYSR. 2016;70:102-111. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.09.009

Sosu EM, Dare S, Goodfellow C, Klein M.Socioeconomic status and school absenteeism: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.Rev. Educ. 2021;9(3). doi: 10.1002/rev3.3291

Henriksen AK, Ulberg R, Tallberg BPU, Løvgren A, Johnsen Dahl HS.Conflicted anger as a central dynamic in depression in adolescents—a double case study. IJERPH. 2021;18(12):6466. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18126466

Santiago CD, Kaltman S, Miranda J.Poverty and mental health: how do low-income adults and children fare in psychotherapy? : poverty and mental health.J Clin Psychol. 2013;69(2):115-126. doi: 10.1002/jclp.21951

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