Mental Health Foundation: Challenging poverty stigma

The Mental Health Foundation's, Shari McDaid PhD, tells us why challenging poverty stigma is vital for people's mental health.

We have known for a long time that people living in poverty are at higher risk of developing mental health problems.  Now, new research published by the Mental Health Foundation shows that poverty stigma is also linked to greater levels of anxiety and depression in the UK. 

Poverty stigma occurs when people living in financial hardship face negative stereotypes and discrimination because of their financial status.  One type of poverty stigma is ‘received poverty stigma’ which refers to personal experiences of discrimination and unfair treatment from others due to living on a low income. A second type of poverty stigma is ‘perceived structural stigma’ which refers to beliefs that people living on low incomes are treated unfairly by decision makers and institutions, such as public services and the media.

In a survey of 1,000 people in the UK on incomes of less than £30,000, one in five respondents (21%) reported they had “often” or “very often” experienced some type of discrimination or unfair treatment in the last 12 months because they live on a low income (‘received poverty stigma’).

With regard to ‘perceived structural stigma’, 82% of respondents said that they believed that people on low incomes are “often” or “very often” treated unfairly by decision makers and institutions, such as public services and the media.

Those who reported experiencing either ‘received poverty stigma’ or ‘perceived structural stigma’ were more likely to have greater levels of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, participants who reported higher levels of poverty stigma reported higher levels of mental ill-health irrespective of the level of economic hardship experienced.

While these new findings are not entirely surprising, the study carried out in partnership with University of West of Scotland, University of Strathclyde and the Poverty Alliance, provides new evidence of a link specifically between experiences of poverty stigma and having higher levels of anxiety and depression in the UK.

Of course, the best way to reduce poverty stigma is to reduce poverty. Rates of poverty among disabled people remain unacceptably high, with 24% of disabled people in Scotland experiencing poverty after housing costs during the period 2020-23. This is one reason why the Mental Health Foundation supports the Essentials Guarantee campaign on Universal Credit. We need government income supports to provide an adequate standard of living.

We need politicians and public services to challenge poverty stigma and affirm the right of people experiencing poverty to live with dignity.  Empathetic and respectful public services have a vital role to play in reducing the mental health toll that poverty can cause. We welcome the current approach of Social Security Scotland that commits to providing its services with dignity, fairness and respect. Fully realising that commitment can help to reduce experiences of poverty stigma.

Public anti-stigma campaigns may also be helpful and may draw upon what we know about challenging mental health stigma.  And we can all play our part, as individuals, in fostering a society that avoids blaming people experience poverty and financial stress for their situation, and instead supports them with compassion and solidarity.

Read the Mental Health Foundation’s joint report, Experiences of poverty stigma and mental health in the UK, here. You can also visit their website to find out more.

End of page.