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xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 11:43 AM Jul 2012

Anxiety Disorders in Poor Moms Likely to Result from Poverty, Not Mental Illness, Study Suggests

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120720083312.htm

ScienceDaily (July 20, 2012) — Poor mothers are more likely to be classified as having the mental illness known as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) because they live in poverty -- not because they are suffering from a psychiatric disorder, according to Rutgers researchers.

Judith C. Baer, an associate professor in the School of Social Work, and her team, in the study, "Is it Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Poverty? An Examination of Poor Mothers and Their Children," published online in Child and Adolescent Social Work, argue that although high levels of stress over long periods can lead to psychological problems, there is no evidence that generalized anxiety disorder in poor mothers is because of an "internal malfunction."

The findings confirm earlier studies that the poorest mothers have the greater odds of being classified as having generalized anxiety disorder. But Baer and her team wrote, ." ..there is no evidence for a malfunction of some internal mechanism. Rather, "there is a physical need in the real world that is unmet and produces anxiety."

"The distinction is important because there are different ways to treat the problem," Baer said. "While supportive therapy and parent skills-training are often helpful, sometimes the most appropriate intervention is financial aid and concrete services."
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Anxiety Disorders in Poor Moms Likely to Result from Poverty, Not Mental Illness, Study Suggests (Original Post) xchrom Jul 2012 OP
Well, yeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh PDJane Jul 2012 #1
Agreed. The biggest problem the poor have is money. xchrom Jul 2012 #3
Years ago, probably in the early or mid 90's SheilaT Jul 2012 #18
True that. no_hypocrisy Jul 2012 #2
P.S. My father lived through the Great Depression. no_hypocrisy Jul 2012 #5
I wonder how many hoarders are eracting to a period of deprivation earlier in life. hedgehog Jul 2012 #9
What do you mean by "a mentality of poverty?" n/t Gormy Cuss Jul 2012 #12
She was afraid to spend money when she finally had some. no_hypocrisy Jul 2012 #14
I can't believe they needed a study to tell them this. Arkansas Granny Jul 2012 #4
i don't disagree -- but actual facts do count. xchrom Jul 2012 #6
I really appreciate this being written out for those who haven't suffered poverty. freshwest Jul 2012 #8
I agree - it's easy to scoff at a scientific study that proves something that everyone knows - hedgehog Jul 2012 #10
Exactly. There's a difference between common sense and data. Gormy Cuss Jul 2012 #13
Been there, done that and totally agree with you. dixiegrrrrl Jul 2012 #7
+1,000,000,000,000 Odin2005 Jul 2012 #17
The problem here is that these women are likely to be prescribed meds instead cbayer Jul 2012 #11
Very important study LeftishBrit Jul 2012 #15
Poor people are stressed? NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!!! Odin2005 Jul 2012 #16
Well... No shit. Glassunion Jul 2012 #19

PDJane

(10,103 posts)
1. Well, yeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 11:45 AM
Jul 2012

Along with depression, learning disorders in children, and time problems....not, please note, time management problems, just time problems. As in, not enough of.

xchrom

(108,903 posts)
3. Agreed. The biggest problem the poor have is money.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 11:50 AM
Jul 2012

Cash. Not enough of it. Period.

From that stems a host of problems.

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
18. Years ago, probably in the early or mid 90's
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 10:54 PM
Jul 2012

(and maybe even earlier) on some NPR program that did a series on the poor, the reporter said that the problem with the poor was that they didn't have enough money. They couldn't afford a decent car in the first place, and when the crappy car (all that they could afford) broke down, they couldn't afford to fix it. Public transportation was usually not available (true even for the middle classes). If they got sick, they either didn't have health care or couldn't afford even modest co-pays, so usually did without going to a doctor. So things got worse. And on and on.

It made me appreciate that while I am not wealthy, I have enough to afford a reliable car. I start out in excellent health (which is very much connected to being able to afford decent food, not smoking, working in a "clean"job) and if anything happens, I have what in this country is very good medical coverage.

It's not that I'm a morally superior person. It's a combination of good luck, my personal behavior, and a whole lot of things I can't control that make my life better than that of a seriously poor person.

I will repeat. The biggest problem the poor have is that they don't have enough money.

no_hypocrisy

(45,774 posts)
2. True that.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 11:49 AM
Jul 2012

My law client needed intensive counseling from just being poor, let alone the domestic violence on top of that. She and her husband had five children and no means of feeding them. There was garbage all over their house when Child Protection came to inspect. Her husband stole from the Catholic charity of which he was the treasurer. (And he refused to let her work at all.) My client had no self esteem, was overly apologetic, and could not properly assist in her defense. She was incredibly anxious over the most inane things and we had to focus her back on the presiding problems at hand.

When she left her husband and returned to her mother, it took months of deprogramming from a mentality of poverty to a hope of financial independence. She's proud of her minimum wage job and her own money. She now has certification to be a cardiology technician and we hope she can find employment soon.

no_hypocrisy

(45,774 posts)
5. P.S. My father lived through the Great Depression.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:00 PM
Jul 2012

He said it was depressing wholesale in his community in the psychological sense as much as the financial sense.

no_hypocrisy

(45,774 posts)
14. She was afraid to spend money when she finally had some.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 05:15 PM
Jul 2012

She couldn't believe that she wasn't dependent upon someone else to buy anything for herself. That's all I meant.

Arkansas Granny

(31,483 posts)
4. I can't believe they needed a study to tell them this.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 11:56 AM
Jul 2012

Having been a single parent raising 4 children on an income that was just a tiny bit above poverty level, I can tell you it's easy to become anxious over little things that most people wouldn't even think about, like where are you going to come up with a couple of bucks for gas so you can get to work and pick up that paycheck that will b-a-r-e-l-y cover your living expenses that you have pared down to the bone. Talk about some generalized anxiety disorder!

People who haven't lived on that level just don't understand what it's like.

xchrom

(108,903 posts)
6. i don't disagree -- but actual facts do count.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:03 PM
Jul 2012

we need them -- we need them to govern, to design policy, to respond.

so while many times things seem like common sense -- we still need groundwork to really get into it.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
8. I really appreciate this being written out for those who haven't suffered poverty.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:58 PM
Jul 2012

We're hoping it is a lack of information and not empathy or hostility towards the poor that is generating poliices that have further exacerbated the problem. You are right, lack of money is the problem.. or whatever it is that money buys, housing, healthcare and other nceessities. A lot of crazy is made by situations that others are too quick to judge others on.

hedgehog

(36,286 posts)
10. I agree - it's easy to scoff at a scientific study that proves something that everyone knows -
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 01:25 PM
Jul 2012

until you recall all the scientific studies that disproved something everybody knows. The role of estrogen for post-menopausal women is one example. Increasingly, the evidence is coming in that all we know about eliminating fat from our diets just isn't so. For another example - eggs are quietly being rehabilitated after years of being scorned as sources of cholesterol.

Sometimes it's the things we all know that just aren't so that cause the most damage.

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)
13. Exactly. There's a difference between common sense and data.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 01:37 PM
Jul 2012

Common sense is wrong at times, like the 'common sense' that leads some people to think that the problem of poverty is one of laziness or lack of gumption by the poor.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
7. Been there, done that and totally agree with you.
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 12:57 PM
Jul 2012

Early years after a much needed divorce, in the 1970's no less. 2 toddlers, no car, very little money.
the effort to get a degree and a job was monumental.

Also have worked in Mental Health for years and years. ( with that hard earned degree)
Did you know, hardly any of the other therapists knew anything about a client's living conditions or day to day issues? All they looked at were symptoms and how to label them, so the doc could write a prescription.
I mean, they "knew" the client had 4 children and was divorced/separated/single , but had NO idea of any kid issues,
( any medical problems, any developmentally delayed problems, etc.)
transportation issues, housing conditions ( no electric, or water had been cut off, or if they had A/c in the sweltering summer, which affects sleep and energy and thinking....)
" Gee, this woman has difficulty sleeping, is anxious, has crying spells, etc"
No shit, Sherlock.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
11. The problem here is that these women are likely to be prescribed meds instead
Sat Jul 21, 2012, 01:28 PM
Jul 2012

of getting the psychosocial services they really need.

LeftishBrit

(41,192 posts)
15. Very important study
Mon Jul 23, 2012, 04:16 AM
Jul 2012

It might seem obvious that poverty is one of the biggest causes of stress and of illness of all sorts, but it's something that's often ignored.

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