Children in Poverty and Mental IllnessMallory McBlaineElmhurst College

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Children in poverty are confronted constantly by overwhelming stress and burdens that

weaken their capacity to attain academic requirements and proper development that affluent

children often can effortlessly fulfill. Repeated exposures to adverse childhood experiences

alters the makeup of a child’s developing brain which causing social, education, and mental

deficiencies. The child’s overwhelmed mind is paralyzed from performing adequately in

everyday life; further confirming a life of inadequacy and poverty. Poverty has shown, through

countless studies, to both increase the risk of developing a mental illness as well as intensifying

any existing illness (Ahmed, 2005). Thirty percent of people around the world are affected by a

mental disorder, and over two thirds of them are not receiving professional treatment (Ngui et

al, 2010). It’s essential to expand mental illness support and treatment to prevent increasing

poverty rates and the inevitable disablement in people. Poverty takes a considerable amount of

time away from parents which weakens parental support and guidance; vital in children’s

growth and development. A constant state of arousal not only deteriorates children mentally; it

weakens cognitive development imperative for academic success and social stability. It is

essential to enact a resolution to remain a country promising freedom and equality to all.

Starting from a young age, living in poverty reduces a child’s academic support, goals,

and sense of morality; which limits their potential for success and intellectual growth. Because

children are at the peak of their cognitive development, the consequences from untreated

mental illness are catastrophic. One in five children between thirteen and eighteen years old

have or will have a serious mental disability (Ngui et al, 2010). Outrageous costs of treatment

and little knowledge of resources, makes it nearly impossible for people living in poverty to

afford the help they deserve. In fact, up to 80% of children and teens whom are tormented by

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mental illness do not receive treatment (Kataoka et al 2002). Studies have repeatedly shown

how growing up in a high stress environment correlates to rates of mental illness and a

weakened development. According to Dr. Blair, “High levels of stress hormones influence the

developing circuitry of children's brains, inhibiting such higher cognitive functions such as

planning, impulse and emotional control, and attention. Known collectively as executive

functions, these mental abilities are important for academic success and emotional

development” (NIH, 2012). Despite lack of knowledge or action, children are the most fragile

and effected by environmental stressors. Youth living in poverty experience significantly greater

chronic stress than do their more well-off peers, proving the need for the focus on

impoverished areas (Stagman et al 2010). A constant state of arousal not only effects

adolescents mental state, but weakens development imperative for academic success and

social stability.

Often, parent’s in poverty face devastating financial anxieties that are apparent and

consistently expressed in front of their children; which can easily allow the kids to express the

same negative emotions and attitudes. Children facing toxic stress naturally adopt coping

mechanisms to reduce the emotional burden suffocating them. Frequently, disadvantaged

youth look for immediate relief through destructive behaviors such as getting involved with

drugs, partying, and violence; often referred to as the culture of poverty thesis (Trevino, 2015).

However, we cannot blame the innocent youth for being stripped away from vital health

necessities and proper support. Unfortunately, parents are often too consumed with simply

providing enough food on the table each night, that they are incapable of accurately nurturing

and guiding their children. Dysfunctional families and other forms of high-stress creates “a

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complex notion that involves insufficient surveillance, lack of control over the child’s behavior,

lack of warmth and support, inconsistency, and displays of aggression or hostility by parents or

older siblings (Ahmed, 2005).” The difficulty to pay for basic needs inflicts significant stress,

shame, and fear on families. The decreased emotional state of the caregivers is often mirrored

onto their children, which damages their ability to enjoy and succeed in daily activities and

responsibilities. In fact, studies have indicated that children are substantially impacted by

traumas experienced by their parents and grandparents through both social interaction and

genetics (NIH, 2012). This knowledge can be explained through the multigenerational approach

to explain how transmittable poverty and mental illness can circulate in families. Furthermore,

low socio-economic children, compared to those of middle-class, are exposed to higher levels of

familial violence, disruption, and separation (Flake et al 2009). Once again, this chaotic and

emotional environment at home, which is meant to be a child’s safe zone, deteriorates their

development and mental state.

Children raised in poverty are frequently left at home to fend for themselves and to take

care of their younger siblings while their parent(s) work long hours. Compared with more

affluent peers, poor children spend less time playing outdoors and more time watching

television and are less likely to participate in after-school activities that promote positive self-

esteem and social skills (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). If the liability of cooking, cleaning, and

caring for their siblings was removed, many of them would jump at the chance to unwind

through school activities. The combination of persistent stress and lack of parental attachment

or guidance in children of poverty increases both the risk and intensity of a mental illness.

SERVICE LEARNING

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For my service learning requirement, I choose to volunteer for Crisis Counselor Textline,

which offers emotional support and guidance for people in distress across the United States. I

began by going through an intensive thirty-four-hour training program consisting of video

modules, live role-play, and exams. I learned how to handle various scenarios such as suicidal

ideation, parental abuse, and rape. Although it was very disheartening, the training helped me

understand why people felt certain ways, and how support can improve countless situations.

Once I passed and became certified, I began interacting one-on-one with “texters”.

I have spent over ten hours communicating with diverse individuals, yet I have noticed a

few similarities. Multiple “texters” indicated a desire for treatment, such as therapy or

medicine, but were unable to afford or access it. An adolescent revealed that her mother didn’t

see the point in wasting hundreds of dollars on therapy. This directly relates to the unfamiliarity

with mental health treatment as well as the unaffordable costs. The serious tragedies expressed

by “texters”, included domestic rape and parental abuse, are commonly being left untreated

and ignored. The innocent victims of emotional travesties, such as these, deserve the right to

be heard. At the end of our conversation, someone responded with, “Well it's nice to know

somebody is able to listen aside from people in my immediate circle. thank you.” This common

expression of gratitude uncovers the lack of support from communities towards the mentally ill.

Emotional support and validation provides distressed individuals to release pent up emotions.

Regardless of what specific emotional misery one is facing, the limited access to treatment

permits the suffering to continue to fester.

MEDIA PERSPECTIVES

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Media outlets have the power to ignite major reforms and programs to resolve various

public issues. News sources shape society’s perception on almost all topics by choosing

statistics and events that portray their specific bias. Although society is often unaware, many

social problems are ignored or misrepresented to convey a particular viewpoint. People living

under the poverty line are two to three times more likely to suffer from a mental illness

(Carney, 2012). The strong correlation between mental illness and poverty is a criterial issue of

today and multiple strategies have been presented in efforts to reduce its occurrence. “The gap

between the top and those at the bottom is greater in the United States then in nearly all other

industrialized societies” (Trevino, 2015). The increase in economic inequality and the resulting

rise of mental illness, will continue to multiply unless we work to reverse it now. Despite this

proven epidemic, news reporters rarely call attention to this vicious cycle; leaving most citizens

blinded. Due to recent travesties, such as the school shooting of 2012 and the economic crash

of 2007, reporters and political leaders have been forced to speak up in regards to poverty and

mental illness.

Dr. Jack Carney, in his article “Poverty and Mental Illness: You Can’t Have One Without

the Other”, he reviewed his perception of why the parallel between mental illness and poverty

exists, as well as how to resolve it. Carney’s opinions mirror that of conflict theorist, stating that

poverty is systemic and sustained through the wealthy (Trevino, 2015). According to Carneys

research, the lower social economic status of an individual, the higher the risk of having a

mental illness; as well as the severity of the illness(s). In addition to those in poverty facing the

highest rate of mental illness, the poor are the least likely to receive adequate treatment, if any

at all. The recession created devastating social and economic consequences leaving millions out

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of work and failing to make ends meet. “When the economic meltdown began in 2007…led by

unscrupulous bankers… Once again, those in power chose to blame the victims rather than to

accept responsibility themselves.” (Trevino, 2015). Families were abruptly laid off from their

low-wage jobs and then faced the impossible burden of somehow making it work. Instead of

attempts at alleviating those who were extremely impacted, the rich chose to divert the blame

onto the poor. As Republican advocate, Dr. Jack Carney sees the best solution as unionizing

against the rich and powerful. If people don’t demand change, the fixed concentration of

wealth will continue; due to personal incomes, massive influence on the quality of education,

health care, benefits, and countless other aspects that allow for economic success. Conflict

theorist have similarly highlighted the importance for the poor to advocate for themselves and

challenge authority for change stating, “change is likely only when social movements are

strong” (Trevino, 2015). Society must refuse to accept what is, and stand up for what’s morally

right.

After a tragic mass shooting, like that of Sandy Hook in 2012, many right-winged leaders

called for gun control instead of treating the issue at hand: mental illness. Michael Bader, a

psychologist and psychoanalyst, depicted his frustration with the right-wing in his article, “The

Gun Lobby’s Focus on Mental Illness.” Most likely, the exponential costs of implementing a

sufficient mental healthcare system is what detours people from establishing one. However,

refusing to accept mental health as a crucial component in maintaining a unified society,

continues the unnecessary violence and suffering. Bader suggests a seven-point plan consisting

of mental health evaluations, therapy, and pre-natal care; in efforts to address mental illness

symptoms as soon as possible and to provide the proper treatment deserved. He recommends

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aiding the entirety of the poor population, in all aspects of daily functioning. Bader’s plan will

allow children to establish social inclusion, or a sense of belonging in a group or society,

eliminating the isolation of poverty (Trevino, 2015). Badger highlights the necessity of providing

such system for all people, while especially affording the extra support in poor communities

whom need them most.

Rod Dreher, the senior editor of The American Conservative, questions why the poor

refuse to succeed in his piece, “When Poverty is the Fault of the Poor”. He explains how the

poor are foolish to seek sympathy and “hand-outs” from the rich who have worked diligently to

achieve their own earnings. He appears to view poverty through the functionalist perspective,

seeing poverty as an essential aspect in a prosperous society. Dreher believes that “…Reality

doesn’t feel sorry for you and no matter how many obstacles it throws your way, you can’t

avoid doing certain things and expect to succeed in life.” (2014). In Dreher’s eyes, parents in

poverty are the ultimate disgrace for they not only failed themselves, but their own children.

His solution to reduce mental illness caused by poverty is mustering through any inherit

setbacks and have a positive attitude towards life. An aspect of functionalism that Dreher

trusts, is that only a select number of people are capable and motivated enough to hold

esteemed positions (Trevino, 2015). Therefore, the inadequacy of others should not call for

assistance because it is inevitable. The rich deserve their wealth because of their talent and vast

sacrifices they have made to flourish. Those in poverty must face the consequences for their

own fatal choices to realize that nothing in life comes easy. Dreher states the role of the

wealthy is to condemn the poor for their inability to work hard as well as providing excuses for

their failure.

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Despite the various perceptions on how to solve it, mental illness and poverty are both

recognized as a legitimate social problem hurting our society. After analyzing various

perspectives, it appears that people often want to ignore or divert social change when the issue

is benefiting those in power. The nineteenth century author, Horatio Alger, supported this idea

of the self-made myth; defined as the false assumption that anyone can come from “rags to

riches “with just a little hard work. (Trevino, 2015) The obliviousness to the reality of poverty

provides reason for why news anchors, which are extraordinarily wealthy, tend to ignore these

issues. Dr. Carney and Bader similarly noted the authority and injustice of political leaders and

the upper class; as well as suggesting unique solutions to rebel against their selfish policies. Rod

Dreher appeared to have the stereotypical opinion that the poor are lazy and are “lesser” than

the rich and deserve the struggles, like mental illness, that life hands them. Dreher even

suggests that the innocent children of poverty are useful in providing motivation to society to

prosper. Moving forward, we must put forth a plan that explains the causes of poverty and our

duty to repair the cruel cycle. In efforts to create a united front for lasting and impactful change

in our society, it is vital to know and understand the major perspectives of the issue.

SOLUTIONS

Through personal experiences and research, I found solutions that I consider to be most

effective in reducing both poverty and mental illness rates. Many small organizations currently

exist today that have provided tremendous change for the communities and the people they

serve. In urgent scenarios, such as this, expanding already successful programs that have

proven their effectiveness, may be the best resolution. Founded in 1908 in New York City, the

nonprofit Partnership with Children was created to provide support and mentoring for families

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dealing with toxic stress initiated by poverty. The program has now reached over 40 schools

and established “safe learning environments” to reduce both children and parental angst.

Margaret Crotty, the executive Director of the organization suggested, “The antidote to toxic

stress—nurturing relationships and consistent feelings of safety—works if it’s in all the child’s

environments” (Columbia University, 2016). Meaning, supporting children in just one aspect of

their life’s will simply fail to remove the nervous unpredictability that surrounds them.

By instilling a program that is based in schools, the core education and cognitive development

setting, counselors can support both the child’s physiological and intellectual needs. Counselors

work with the entire family to get each of their emotional needs met before they can support

healthy social and cognitive development in their children. Government funding of similar

programs within poverty stricken schools across the United States would aid in equalizing the

playing field among the poor and the well-off. Through my experience with the Crisis Textline,

the power of validation and support improves the mentality and motivation of varied people.

By giving children in poverty an individualized support system, children will begin to feel

accepted and a part of their community. Implemented a similar program would provide

overwhelmed children a place to release their vulnerable emotions and receive validation and

positive support they desperately lack and need.

The inaccurate fallacy that the poor should be held responsible for their failures must be

addressed before a united front can promote a valid resolution. Multiple studies have shown

that proper child development is driven primarily by social class, race, and ethnicity. Although

researchers agree parents play a crucial role, the environment they live in vastly shape

children’s potential (Garnham, 2011). Alison Garnham, the executive of the Child Poverty Action

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Group, wisely stated, “Rather than reduce responsibility for poverty to individual actions, we

need to face the fact that poverty is substantially a result of society’s choices and government ‘s

policies” (2011). By assigning blame on the victims of poverty, society excuses themselves from

solving the massive problem.

The common misconception that poor children may deserve help but the parents are to

blame for the lack of motivation and effort used to improve their own life’s, has enabled

hesitation in implementing such programs. People are often blinded by the interconnectivity of

emotional, financial, and familial well-being. If one factor is suffering, odds are, all others will be

vastly impaired for the entire family. Research has supported the influence of familial stress by

discovering, “parents who move out of poverty rapidly display improved parenting behaviors,

better interactions with their children, are less involved in crime, and their children do a lot

better at school, are less anxious, less depressed and are less involved in crime” (Garnham,

2011). The myth that parents in poverty are culprits of obliviousness and exude utter rejection

of their parental roles and responsibilities has spread across our society. This has resulted in a

collective refusal to help parents and thereby not wanting to bother with aiding the innocent

children. Projecting blame for the epidemic onto those suffering will solve nothing, but

providing resources for deprived families whom face intolerable constant stress will.

Critics often argue that poverty is caused by the parent’s unwillingness to work.

However, fifty-eight percent of children in poverty have at least one working parent (Blair,

2012). The reason for the increase in poverty is due to lack of acquirable jobs and potential

opportunities to progress, largely related to the vicious cycle of poverty. The absence of

affordable childcare means the parent(s) must either leave their children to fend for themselves

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alone, or sacrifice additional hours that could be spent working. Furthermore, rising

unemployment means that many parents simply cannot find work, or have recently been let go

for budget cuts. Unemployment rates in the United States reached a record high in 2009 of

10.1% (Snyder, 2010). The significant increase in joblessness in recent years is the fault of the

recession and the proceeding economic downturn, and not the absence of determined parents.

Nevertheless, the claims of diminished parenting and guidance which is crucial in children

development, are far too real.

Children in poverty consistently have unmet parental needs which further spirals their

emotional distress. Innocent children are being plagued by the effects of their family’s financial

deficits and left to fend for themselves. Impaired cognitive and psychological development

caused by toxic stress results in an uneven playing field for the rest of the child’s life. It is

corrupt to blame the parents of poverty for their inability to cope with such heavy burdens

considering their scarce resources. “Approximately 10 million Americans are currently receiving

unemployment insurance, which is a number that is nearly four times higher than what it was

at back in 2007” (Snyder, 2010). High rates of poverty and mental illness in the United States

will only intensify if we don’t halt the progression now. By providing adult role-models and

mentors, the parental responsibility can be supplemented and the damage by their absence

reduced. Society’s new revelation should emulate that of Dr. Wilson-Simmons, “Our vision is of

an America where all families are economically secure, strong, and nurturing so that all children

can be supported to thrive and grow into healthy adults” (Columbia University, 2016). The

question is not, “Why are the poor too lazy and stupid to thrive and prosper?” Instead we must

ask, “Why have we been so selfish and cruel to allow such devastation towards the poor?”

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References

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Blair, Clancy, PHD. "Stresses of Poverty May Impair Learning Ability in Young Children." National Institute of Health (NIH). U.S. National Library of Medicine, 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2016.

Carney, Jack. 2012. “Poverty &Amp; Mental Illness: You Can't Have One Without the Other - Mad In America.” Mad In America. Retrieved September 25, 2016

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Ngui, E. M., Khasakhala, L., Ndetei, D., & Roberts, L. W. (2010). Mental disorders, health Inequalities and ethics: A global perspective. International Review of Psychiatry (Abingdon, England), 22(3), 235–244.

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"Personal Experiences with texters" Interview by Mallory McBlaine. Crisis Text Line. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

Snyder, Michael. "30 Statistics That Prove the Elite Are Getting Richer, The Poor Are Getting Poorer and The Middle Class Is Being Destroyed." The Economic Collapse, 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

Stagman, Shannon, and Janice L. Cooper. "Children’s Mental Health." National Center for Children in Poverty. Columbia University, Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

"Stresses of Poverty May Impair Learning Ability in Young Children." U.S Census Bureau. National Institute of Health, 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2016

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