Is mental illness related to poverty?
• Whether being poor causes mental illness, and • Whether having a mental illness can lead to poverty. Does poverty cause mental illness? Poverty increases the level of stress in someones life. The constant struggle to survive can take a great toll on their mental health, and bring about mental health problems. Clearly, it is easier to have good mental health if you have material comfort than if you live in poverty. However, the causes of mental illness are varied and complex. Its hard to say that poverty alone directly causes mental illness. Mental illness occurs in all classes of society, and the great majority of people who live in poverty do not have mental illness. Does mental illness cause poverty? Having a mental illness can make it very hard to find a steady job. The chances of becoming poor are greater if someone is mentally ill. For instance, recent Canadian studies show that the numbers of homeless people with a mental illness are rising. Still, many people with mental illne
