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Anxiety 'disorders' in poor mothers likely result from poverty not mental illness

biophile

Places I'd rather be.
Messages
8,977
Our findings suggest that anxiety in poor mothers is usually not a psychiatric problem but a reaction to severe environmental deficits. [...] Thus, assessment should include careful attention to contextual factors and environmental deficits as playing a role in the presentation of symptoms. Labeling an individual with a diagnosis, especially if it is inaccurate, has a serious social stigma.

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

I wonder if something similar can be said for anxiety and depression with ME/CFS, where "contextual factors and environmental deficits" (and biological factors) are routinely ignored?
 
Messages
13,774
lol. Thanks biophile.

"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."

Currently, psychiatric diagnoses are based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which uses symptom-based criteria to determine disorders. Recent versions do not consider context, such as poverty conditions, in determining diagnoses, Baer said.

"Our findings suggest that anxiety in poor mothers is usually not a psychiatric problem but a reaction to severe environmental deficits," she continued. "Thus, assessment should include careful attention to contextual factors and environmental deficits as playing a role in the presentation of symptoms. Labeling an individual with a diagnosis, especially if it is inaccurate, has a serious social stigma."

It's just hilarious how basic some of these observations are... and how they get brushed aside by so many of those who want to build careers managing the minds of others. It's good to see researchers making these points, but my fear and expectation is that it will have little impact. Those working in this area have little motivation that more money should be spent on providing financial aid to those in difficult positions and less on their psychological management.
 

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,197
Location
Canada
It's hard to imagine anything more anxiety inducing than being an impoverished mother. Should be pretty obvious. hopefully this research may actually lead to support services for all kinds of people who need it...
 

currer

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Sickness, disability, mental disease, unemployment and poverty are all linked and this has been known for decades.
As politics moves further to the right these links will become firmer.