Poverty and Mental Health: What Resources Are There?

Poverty can be a tense subject in our society. Staying out of poverty is often seen as a mark of accomplishment, leading many to believe that whether or not they become impoverished is based entirely on their choices, decisions, and beliefs. The truth, however, is far less clear-cut. 

In reality, a host of things can cause almost anyone to suddenly fall into poverty: an unforeseen medical emergency, an accident, an increase in cost of living, loss of employment, and loss of a loved one are all examples of how just about anyone could become unexpectedly impoverished. Oftentimes, poverty arises out of slow, unavoidable, and systemic issues, such as the high cost of education, the high cost of childcare, the effects of aging, or a chronic physical/mental health concern, all of which can drain at your resources even when you’re working as hard as you can to get by. For many, living in poverty is the result of unforeseeable circumstances - not their individual choices.

On top of the obvious costs of poverty, living in poverty is also connected with mental health difficulties, whether this be because of a mental health struggle leading into poverty or vice versa. Living in poverty is associated with a higher risk of high stress, trauma, depression, anxiety, substance use, and psychosis, among other serious mental conditions. Even with this increased risk, however, many impoverished individuals do not seek out treatment, often due to logistical, attitudinal, and/or systemic issues preventing them from doing so. However, while these barriers do exist that make it more difficult for people in poverty to access mental health care, there are also resources and supports available to help. 

One nationwide resource intended to help those in poverty is Circles USA. Circles takes a unique approach to addressing poverty by focusing on creating a sense of community between those who are experiencing poverty and volunteers who are not. Volunteers come from middle- and high-income backgrounds, and their goal is to provide training on how to navigate confusing financial tasks, such as negotiating a lease, obtaining employment, managing debt, etc. Circles also serves as a source of connection to others in the community, directing people to local resources and educating both participants and volunteers about how the system interacts with poverty.

In addition to resources to help those in poverty find connection and learn skills, many areas in the United States offer resources for affordable, accessible mental health care. If you live in Utah Valley, we have some recommendations for places you could go to seek out this care.  Two accessible and affordable mental health agencies in Utah Valley are Wasatch Behavioral Health and Mountainlands Community Health Center. Wasatch Behavioral serves individuals who currently have Medicaid (except for PCN Medicaid), and needed mental health services are covered 100%. Mountainlands Community Health Center, on the other hand, is geared towards serving low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals, and will provide services at no cost to those who do not have the ability to pay. If you live in the Utah Valley, these two are great options for low- to zero-cost services.

Another affordable mental health resource is local universities. Brigham Young University offers mental health services through the BYU Comprehensive Clinic. Services at this clinic are available not only to students, but to members of the community at large. Typical payment for therapy is $30, but a sliding scale is available for those who are in greater financial need. Utah Valley University also offers a similar service through the UVU Community Clinic. Services provided at this clinic are free, though space is limited, and therapy is available for individuals, couples, and families. 

One last mental health resource you might want to try is the Open Path Collective. Open Path is a fairly new resource, especially in the state of Utah, and is intended to connect individuals without insurance with therapists willing to work with them at a lower rate. Open Path guarantees that sessions with fully licensed therapists will cost between $40-$70, and if you are willing to meet with a student intern, the cost drops to a flat $30 per session. While there is not a wide variety of practitioners to choose from on Open Path in the state of Utah, you may still be able to find a good fit there.

Living in poverty does not exclude you from receiving and benefitting from mental health resources. Help is available and healing is possible even when in financial straits. While we are not a program intended to serve low-cost individuals, South Counseling also provides sliding scale payment for those in need of services. If you are interested in seeking out psychological services through us, feel free to set up a complimentary 15-minute consultation through the Schedule tab above. 

Links to resources

Circles USA: https://www.circlesusa.org/ 

Wasatch Behavioral Health: https://www.wasatch.org/ 

Mountainlands Community Health Center: https://www.mountainlands.org/  

BYU Comprehensive Clinic: https://comprehensiveclinic.byu.edu/ 

UVU Community Mental Health Clinic: https://www.uvu.edu/community-clinic/ 

Open Path: https://openpathcollective.org/