Can Poverty Drive You Mad? 'Schizophrenia', Socio-Economic Status and the Case for Primary Prevention

I his 2004 address to the World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, in Auckland, American psychologist George Albee opened with ‘I wrote my first paper emphasizing the necessity of prevention of mental disorders nearly 50 years ago’. After demonstrating in some detail the numerical and economic impossibility of trying to provide mental health services to all those who need them, he went on to say: The principle source of stress worldwide is poverty. Poverty is at the root of many of the stresses that have been identified as the cause of emotional distress. Poverty has been identified as the ‘the cause of the causes’ (Joffe, 1988). . . . . . – Poverty dampens the human spirit creating despair and hopelessness. – Poverty underlies multiple problems facing families, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. – Poverty directly affects infant mortality, mental retardation, learning disabilities, and drug and alcohol abuse. – Poverty is a major factor in homelessness. – Poverty increases the incidence of racial, ethnic, and religious hatred. – Poverty increases abuse against women and children. – Poverty results in suicide, depression, and severe mental illness. – Poverty is directly linked to violence. . . . . . We believe that the eradication of poverty is the first step in primary prevention. (Albee, 2006, p. 451)