Sacrificing the Mentality of Childhood: Poverty's Impact on Children with Mental Illnesses

Abstract

According to the CDC, up to a fifth of children from all income brackets are thought to suffer from a mental illness ("Child Mental Health"). Low-income children are disproportionately affected with one-third to one-half of children thought to have mental health challenges ("Child Mental Health"). Grenderline's family, supported by a single mother, fall into this low-income bracket and face the added stressors inherent to a life in poverty. As many impoverished environments present daily difficulties with adequate food and housing, children in critical stages of development are met with a taxing mental toll when no healthcare resources are utilized. This situation describes the correlation between poverty and the disadvantages faced by children struggling with a mental illness. The difficulties associated with a life in poverty expose its severe cost on childhood mental health and illuminates how efforts to educate and reallocate resources can greatly improve the course of a child's life. [From Introduction]