multicolored people

multicolored people

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Poverty and Mental Health

Unfortunately due to poverty people end up on the streets or striving to hang onto a beat down home. There are many reasons for people to become poor. For example in class we watched a film titled No Place Called Home, and in this film the family was born into poverty. The children were very well behaved and tried their best to help out; however they were also bullied at school because of the way they lived. This family went through many hardships and at one point had to live in a tent because they had gotten evicted from their home and couldn’t find another place to live. (National Film) The parents had to do their best to support these children and it was very stressful on each of them, which affects both of their mental health. Having to live with the worry everyday of not being able to know what the next day will bring is very difficult to live with. (National Film)
Mental issues not only arise in parents/adults but also in children. A longitudinal study proved that “The more frequently the child was exposed to poverty, the greater was the risk of that individual being anxious and depressed at both the 14- and 21- year follow-ups.”(American journal)  In addition the study also shows that “repeated experiences of poverty over a child’s early life course are associated with increased levels of poor mental health”. (American journal) Children don’t have the choice to be kids; they have limited options. The kids will not be able to participate in extra activities that interest them because extra activities cost money, which they do not have. (National Film) Kids see their parent’s constant worry daily and that leads them to worry themselves. The kids may never grow up in a place they can call a ‘home’. Sadly they may be moved around quite frequently.
“Poverty experienced in early childhood has been found to affect cognitive and other health and developmental outcome.”(American journal) “There may be critical periods during gestation, childhood, or adolescence when exposures to poverty may have major and irreversible consequences.”(American journal)  It is a scary thought knowing that so many children that are being brought up in these environments will not only have a very difficult childhood, but it will also continue throughout their lives, possibly until they die. Social Welfare is a big help when it comes to individuals in poverty, however it is not family friendly so many families believe it is easier to try and earn a living without the help of Social Welfare.
Nobody chooses to live this life, and it is not fair for innocent children to have to be raised in such conditions and have mental issues due to the fact that their parents cannot provide for them. Social Welfare needs to find a way to help not only the individual, but the poor who are family orientated, in some ways families in poverty have a harder time due to the fact that they not only need to provide for themselves but others as well. The parents have to think not only about themselves but also about their children.


Resources:

 -Najman, J., Mohammed, R., Hayatbakhsh, Clavarino, A., Bor, W., O'Callaghan, M., Williams, G. (2010). American journal of public health. 100(9), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.lib.umanitoba.ca/ehost/detail?vid=16&hid=12&sid=e149ba7c-fd37-4c23-aef1-9d7bd1f7dc55%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=53739892

 - National Film Board of Canada (Producer). 
(   2004). No Place Called Home [DVD].
    Montreal: DVD-R

  - Brettany G.


12 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I thought the video we watched in class, No Place Called Home, was very interesting. It made me realize what extents some families have to go through in order to survive. By reading your blog, I realized that the parents of the family must have had some sort of mental health issue, mainly severe stress, and possibly depression. I wish the government could go to a great extent of helping all people living in poverty, by bringing them to a more realistic standard of living. It is sad to hear that people live in poverty, but it is sadder to hear what they have to go through to survive. Hearing about the effects poverty has on children is devastating. Your blog points out that “the more frequently the child was exposed to poverty, the greater was the risk of that individual being anxious and depressed at both 14- and 21- year follow-ups.” I can only imagine how hard it would be on the entire family to move constantly. It would be nice is social welfare was family friendly, that way the families who are in poverty, could possibly come out of it together as a whole.

    Ashley R.

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  3. I like the comment in your blog when you said that children cannot act like kids, because they have limited options and do not have extra money to participate in activities that they would like to. I very much agree with this. It’s also very sad that these kids have to worry about things that they shouldn’t have to as kids. Kids should not have to worry about money concerns, but it is very difficult for them when they see their parents struggling with this issue everyday.

    Melanie.F

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. I found the video very eye-opening and disheartening. I had never considered that generations of families have continued to be born into poverty. I loved that the family was so positive considering their situation. I was extremely surprised by the children's attitudes. I agree with there being more accessible resources for families in poverty. I also think that the stigma around welfare needs to be removed. Yes there are some people that abuse the system but there are also families and people that actually need it and won't apply because they think they'll be looked down upon. This was the case in the video and the family ended up sleeping in tents like you mentioned all because they were too proud and didn't want to add another reason for people to judge them. In my opinion this is a sad reality that society desperately needs to change.

    Alexis B.

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  7. That movie was really something. The fact that a family can have so much bad luck is unbelievable. I think it showed me how truly hard it is to get out of being in the position of poverty. I completely agree with your statement about how no child deserves to be in this position just because there parents cannot provide for them. To often children get put into situations that they really have no control over. I couldn’t believe how in the movie the parents had to lie about how many children they had. I see the point of the landlords, assuming that children can cause messes. But I don’t understand how the landlord couldn’t give them a chance. It’s really too bad that we don’t have more social welfare programs to help families like the one shown in the video. Great post Brettany!

    Alyssa V

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  8. I agree that movie changed the way I thought about poor people not trying to change their circumstances. When we watched how the kids did help clean up the house and new what paying rent was and how they lived in a low income house, I couldn't believe that children could grasp those ideas. As a child I didn't understand or know that my parents were paying for our house. I didn't know the idea around money or the concept that it had. The fact that these kids were ridiculed for being poor is awful. Also, I think that these children will grow up having a better sense of self. They all had wonderful ideas about what they wanted to me as they grew up, which is a step in the right direction for them.
    It makes sense that children that grow up in poverty hold a chance of mental problems. There is a continuous cycle of problems as we clearly saw in the movie. The mothers mom did her best for kids in an abusive relationship, so of course when the mom was faced with the same problem she had no choice but to take her kids and do the same. I wonder what the percentage that each one of her children will live their lives on the verge of needing social assitence.

    -Samantha G 7637608

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  9. Samatha,
    I’m glad you decided to blog about the video “No Place Called Home”. The video made me reflect on how fortunate I am to be getting an education. This video probably touched me so much because it hits so close to home. I understand that the mother didn’t want to be stigmatized as a “welfare mother”, but I don’t think she understood that she is deserving of help. This is the reason why we pay taxes. The mother went through so much stress which in turn probably did jeopardize her mental health. What bothers me is people criticizing those on social assistance with comments like “ quit being so lazy, go find a job”. This woman found a job and is still struggling. It’s not about getting a job, you can have a job and still live in poverty. In the end, I was proud of the mother that she was able to carry on and be strong for her children, but what sadden me was that she had to walk 2 hours to get to work. This just shows you can have a job and life can still be a huge struggle.
    Valene

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  10. I completely agree with your post! It is very sad to see anyone living in poverty, not only children. Nobody deserves to live the way that the people in the film were forced to. The government should come up with some sort of program to help these people out, different from welfare. Perhaps a program to give them a certain amount of money to get back on their feet, and a payment program to suit the family to pay it back? Either way, there are way too many people living in poverty, none of which deserve it.

    -Amanda P.

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  11. This is such a good post! I felt that I could relate as I read it because my friend has had depression problems due to her parents' constant worry and fighting. Though the situations were pretty different, I feel that you have a valid point when you say that the parents' attitudes and worrying can have such a huge impact on their childrens' mental states.

    Also, it is so unfortunate that for many people there is no escape from poverty. Also, this video was very sad because they had so many children and they just could not seem to catch a break. It is a sad reality for many people and I believe if we had a better social assistance program, families like this could be evaluated and taken care of the way they deserve. No one should have to live in a tent.

    -Marina R

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  12. It's true. People with mental health issues are probably the most stigmatized out of any group. We pathologize it as a disease but then turn around and treat people with mental health issues as if that pathology is their own fault. Yet we don't view people with cancer that way. I wonder why that is?

    Rachel Ryan-Dorn

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