AN INTRODUCTION TO MENTAL HEALTH - The Nossal Institute for ...

Activity 28 : Poverty and mental health
Time : 30 minutes
Purpose : To help participants understand the relationship between poverty and
mental health.
Materials : Pens/pencils for drawing illustrations is required.
Directions : Step 1
Present the information from the ‘Information for Presentation’ box
below.
INFORMATION FOR PRESENTATION
People living in poverty are more likely to experience mental disorders due to the stresses
associated with being poor, and mental disorders are likely to worsen poverty, so that it
becomes a cycle that is difficult to break. 2
Figure 5. The poverty and mental disorders cycle
POVERTY
MENTAL DISORDERS
Increased due to
continued pressures
of poverty, and
inability to access
effective medical care
and rehabilitation
MENTAL DISORDERS
Often caused by
or made worse
by conditions of
poverty
POVERTY
Due to inability to work, poor
access to effective medical
care, cost of treatments
AN INTRODUCTION TO MENTAL HEALTH 99