Definitions of mental health and the importance of focusing on it in terms of overall well-being.

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Outline: How Limited Resources Affect Mental Health

Michelle Lynn

Walden University

HUMN 6912

Instructor Jessica Millimen

July 5, 2025

Outline: How Limited Resources Affect Mental Health

Introduction

· Definitions of mental health and the importance of focusing on it in terms of overall well-being.

· Explanation of the concept of having limited resources (e.g., food, housing, healthcare, education, and social support).

· Thesis statement: Mental health is damaged when basic needs are not met through constant stress, neglect, and isolation.

Impact of Housing Instability on Mental Health

· Inability to have a stable house causes a state of irresolvable insecurity and fear, which results in constant stress, anxiety, and sleeping problems.

· People tend to experience the feeling of insecurity and lack of power, which could dramatically affect emotional stability and general mental health.

· Those who are homeless and are housing insecure are closely associated with a high level of depression, PTSD, and substance use.

· Having no confidential place to recover, whether afraid of traumatic memory or emotional pain, contributes to mental illness, making it even more severe.

Lack of Access to Healthcare.

· Uninsured and low-income people will miss an early mental health intervention.

· The consequences of untreated or undertreated conditions make underlying mental conditions worse (Modi et al., 2022).

· Mental health professionals are hard to find in rural and underserved communities (Conroy et al., 2020).

Food Insecurity and Mental Health

· Poor nutrition and hunger are associated with irritability, cognitive loss, and fatigue.

· It is hard to stop constantly worrying about meals, which means a higher chance of developing anxiety and depression (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

· Children who experience food insecurity are emotionally underdeveloped.

Educational and Economic Inequities

· There is also the issue that poor education restricts employment opportunities, thereby cementing poverty cycles (Adely et al., 2021).

· Stress leads to long-term emotional trouble due to a lack of finances.

· The restricted understanding of mental health suppresses the ability to seek aid.

Social Isolation and Lack of Community Support

· Lack of supportive relationships enhances loneliness and hopelessness.

· Stigma in low-resource environments discourages help-seeking.

· Disadvantaged populations do not usually have available mental health outreach (Kaihlanen et al., 2022).

Conclusion

· Give a summary of the effects of failure to meet basic needs on mental health.

· Stress on resource equity to enhance the outcomes of general mental health in the population.

References

Adely, F. I. J., Mitra, A., Mohamed, M., & Shaham, A. (2021). Poor education, unemployment, and the promise of skills: The hegemony of the "skills mismatch" discourse. International Journal of Educational Development, 82, 102381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102381

Conroy, J., Lin, L., & Ghaness, A. (2020, July 1). Why People Are Not Getting the Care They Need. Apa.org; American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/07/datapoint-care

Kaihlanen, A.-M., Virtanen, L., Buchert, U., Safarov, N., Valkonen, P., Hietapakka, L., Hörhammer, I., Kujala, S., Kouvonen, A., & Heponiemi, T. (2022). Towards digital health equity – a qualitative study of the challenges experienced by vulnerable groups in using digital health services in the COVID-19 era. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07584-4

Mayo Clinic. (2023, February 20). Overcoming mental health care barriers. Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/overcoming-mental-health-care-barriers

Modi, H., Orgera, K., & Grover, A. (2022, October 10). Exploring barriers to mental health care in the U.S. AAMC Research and Action Institute. https://www.aamcresearchinstitute.org/our-work/issue-brief/exploring-barriers-mental-health-care-us

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