The current cost of living is pushing more people into poverty, with almost 68% of low income...
Mental health
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07/10/2013
Mental health, poverty and social exclusion
This conceptual note explores the complex relationship between poverty and social exclusion and mental health problems in terms of how we might measure poor mental health, and in how we might assess the direction of causality: does poverty, or social exclusion, cause poor mental health, or does poor mental health lead to poverty and social exclusion? The PSE research has used the well-validated instrument, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 12, widely used to indicate presence or absence of symptoms of what are often described as ‘common mental disorders’, which will enable comparison with findings from other research in the UK and elsewhere.
Category: Conceptual notes -
07/06/2012
Social Exclusion and Mental Health: Review of Literature and Existing Surveys
Mental health problems can impact on social exclusion as a result of lack of financial resources and because of the effects of illness, including low self-esteem, loss of social contacts due to hospitalisation or the impact of illness on sociability, or the stigma experienced by many of those affected by mental illness. However, poverty and social exclusion are also likely to lead to an increased risk of mental health difficulties, such as the result of stress or managing on a low income, living circumstances, local environment, discrimination and decreased opportunities for positive self-esteem. In this survey the primary approach will be to use a well-validated instrument, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 12 to indicate the presence or absence of symptoms of what are often described as ‘common mental disorders (CMDs)’.
Category: Methods development -
01/01/2012
Disabled people slam government’s Disability Living Allowance reforms
The Coalition government’s proposed ‘reforms’ to the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) lack support and credibility and are ‘highly misleading’, says Responsible Reform, a report written by sick and disabled people, their friends and carers. Based on an analysis of 500 responses to the UK government’s consultation on its planned changes to disability living allowance, this report argues that the decision to reduce DLA expenditure by 20 per cent may have been based on misleading data about the reasons for growth in DLA. It is estimated that the proposed changes could lead to 500,000 disabled people losing entitlement to the benefit. The report found:
Category: Reports
