Socio-Economic Disparities And Mental Health Issues

1565 Words4 Pages

In order to understand human well-being, the multi-faceted relationship between socio-economic factors and mental health is a topic of the highest importance. Socio-economic factors refers to factors such as income, education and employment status. These factors make up a ‘multidimensional construct, named socioeconomic status’ (CDC, 2023), and the disparity in these factors contributes to mental health issues in a multitude of ways. In order to address this question, this essay aims to focus on how these disparities contribute to the occurrence and consequences of mental health issues, using specific examples of factors named above, and put into context using specific mental health issues such as___________. By examining the impact of socio-economic …show more content…

To further examine the effect of disparities in socio-economic factors on mental health, it’s critical to look into interconnected factors that often exacerbate each other, such as low income and lack of employment opportunities. Disparities in opportunities represent another important dimension influencing the occurrence and consequences of mental health issues. Health outcomes have continuously demonstrated to be negatively impacted by unemployment through stress and ‘reduced self-esteem through the loss of day-to-day structure of work, a result of financial hardship and insecurity’(Wilson and Finch, 2021), as well as social isolation, creating a higher risk of mental health occurrences such as depression and anxiety. Areas with a multitude of opportunities often boast a higher proportion of employed individuals, potentially leading to an improved quality of life. Alternatively, economically disadvantaged areas with less opportunities subsequently result in less employment - unemployment acts as a ‘stressor, causing people’s self-rated physical and mental health to decline, and it correlates with lower health and overall life expectancy’ (Martnez-Jiménez, …show more content…

A second study found similar results, where a diploma lessens the risk of occurrence of substance use disorder, contributing to economic instability in adulthood (Lee et al., 2013). This may be due not only to greater exposure to risks, but also limited knowledge and awareness about risks associated with substance use and addiction, but also limited knowledge surrounding access to resources and support services for addressing such substance

Open Document