Poverty and Mental health (original) (raw)

Mental health and poverty in the UK - time for change?

BJPsych international, 2015

Poverty and income inequality have increased in the UK since the 1970s. Poverty and mental ill-health are closely associated and disadvantage can have long-term consequences. In addition, the recent recession and austerity measures have had a detrimental effect on people with mental health problems and the mental health of the population. Mental health services can play a role in addressing the problems of poverty and inequality.

Poverty and mental health: policy, practice and research implications

BJPsych Bulletin

SummaryThis article examines the relationship between poverty and mental health problems. We draw on the experience of Glasgow, our home city, which contains some of Western Europe's areas of greatest concentrated poverty and poorest health outcomes. We highlight how mental health problems are related directly to poverty, which in turn underlies wider health inequalities. We then outline implications for psychiatry.

Poverty and Health?A Review Article

Social Policy & Administration, 1970

IS THE OPPORTUNITY to lead a healthy life unequally distributed in the United States today, and if so why? These are the central questions that this important book seeks to answer. In the course of this review it is proposed to summarise their findings, compare them with similar information about health in Britain, and question the conceptual approach used by the authors.

Does relative deprivation predict the need for mental health services?

The journal of mental health policy and economics, 2004

Several studies postulate that psychological conditions may contribute to the link between low relative income and poor health, but no one has directly tested the relationship between relative deprivation and mental health disorders. In this paper, we investigate whether low income relative to a reference group is associated with a higher probability of depressive disorders or anxiety disorders. Reference groups are defined using groups of individuals with similar demographic and geographic characteristics. We hypothesize that perceptions of low social status relative to one's reference group might lead to worse health outcomes. We attempt to determine whether an individual's income status relative to a reference group affects mental health outcomes. Our contributions to the literature include (i) defining reference groups using demographic characteristics in addition to geographic area, (ii) looking at an individual's relative income status rather than low income or agg...

Deprivation and cause specific morbidity: evidence from the Somerset and Avon survey of health

BMJ, 1996

Objective-To investigate the association between cause specific morbidity and deprivation in order to inform the debates on inequalities in health and health services resource allocation. Design-Cross sectional postal questionnaire survey ascertaining self reported health status, with validation of a 20!/o sample through general practitioner and hospital records. Setting-Inner city, urban, and rural areas of Avon and Somerset. Subjects-Stratified random sample of 28 080 people aged 35 and over from 40 general practices. Main outcome measures-Age and sex standardised prevalence of various diseases; Townsend deprivation scores were assigned by linking postcodes to enumeration districts. Relative indices of inequality were calculated to estimate the magnitude of the association between socioeconomic position and morbidity. Results-The response rate was 85 3%. The prevalence of most of the conditions rose with increasing material deprivation. The relative index of inequality, for both sexes combined, was greater than 1 for all conditions except diabetes. The conditions most strongly associated with deprivation were diabetic eye disease (relative index of inequality 3*21; 95% confidence interval 184 to 5.59), emphysema (2.72; 167 to 4.43) and bronchitis (2.27; 1-92 to 2.68). The relative index of inequality was significantly higher in women for asthma (P< 0.05) and in men for depression (P<0.01). The mean reporting of prevalent conditions was 107 for the most deprived fifth of respondents and 0*77 in the most affluent fifth (P < 0.001). Conclusions-Material deprivation is strongly linked with many common diseases. NHS resource allocation should be modified to reflect such morbidity differentials.

Income inequality and the prevalence of common mental disorders in Britain

The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2001

Background It has been hypothesised that the association between greater income inequality and increased mortality is mediated by poor psychosocial health. Aims To test the hypothesis that individuals in regions of Britain with the highest income inequality have a higher prevalence of the common mental disorders, after adjusting for individual income. Method Cross-sectional survey of 8191 adults aged 16–75 in private households in England, Wales and Scotland. The prevalence of common mental disorders was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire. Results The association between income inequality and prevalence of the common mental disorders varied with individual income level. Among persons with the highest incomes, common mental disorders were more frequent in regions with greater income inequality (as indicated by high Gini coefficient) (adjusted OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.05–1.65; P=0.02). The opposite was true for those with the lowest incomes. Conclusions Income inequality was ass...