Mental Health and Socioeconomic Factors

This assignment analyzes the relationship between mental health and socioeconomic conditions in Australia. It highlights the negative impact of unemployment, job loss, deprivation, and job insecurity on mental well-being. The paper emphasizes the need for preventive and early intervention strategies, particularly for low socioeconomic status (SES) populations, to address the high prevalence of mental illnesses and suicide. It recommends government policies aimed at improving the social conditions of disadvantaged individuals.

Running head: DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 1
Developing a Social Science Perspective
Student’s Name
University Affiliation

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Constructing a question...................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................3
Critique............................................................................................................................................4
Personal Response...........................................................................................................................5
Conclusion/Recommendations........................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................7

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 3
Developing a Social Science Perspective
Introduction
The topic of this scholarly paper is mental health and suicide with a specific focus on the
Australian population. Based on recent reports and empirical evidence, there is a high incidence
of mental illnesses and suicide in Australia. About 45.5% of the entire population has
experienced a mental disorder at a particular time in their lifetime. During the time of the study,
it was found that approximately 20.0% of Australians aged between 16 and 85 years experienced
a mental disorder in the last 12 months (Slade et al., 2009). The most common mental disorders
in Australia are mood disorders, anxiety and substance use disorders. While women have high
chances of experiencing anxiety disorders, men have high chances of experiencing substance use
disorder.
Similarly, the epidemiology of suicide is worrying. In 2014, suicide was the leading
cause of mortality in men aged between 25 and 44 years and women aged between 25 and 34
years (Kinchin & Doran, 2017). When compared to young women, young men have higher
chances of taking their lives. Although the incidence of suicide is declining progressively, it
remains a concern for young Australians, parents, health professionals and policymakers. The
high prevalence of suicide is also affecting the job market. In 2014, about 903 workers
committed suicide, and 2303 others harmed themselves leading to full incapacitation (Kinchin &
Doran, 2017).
Mental and suicide is an important topic because it leads to significant economic loss and
tends to affect some segments of the population in the community. The economic cost of suicide
is estimated to be $6.73. This value insinuates that the economy is hurt by suicide substantially.
The direct cost of treating and caring for persons diagnosed with mental health is high. The
national spending on mental health is high. For instance, in 2010-2011, the national expenditure
on mental health was up by 178% or $4.2 billion (Slade et. al., 2009). The state and territory
governments spend much higher on mental health than the Australian government.
A consideration of the social demographics indicates that the rate of suicide is higher
among those who are homeless, retired and unemployed compared to the other people in the
population. Homeless individuals are likely to report substance use disorders and psychotic

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 4
illness (Slade et al., 2009). Those who are unemployed or retired tend to experience
psychological stress. This analysis indicates that mental health and suicide is an important topic
in the context of Australia.
Constructing a question
Why do some Australians experience a high incidence of mental illnesses and suicide?
The epidemiology of mental illnesses and suicide shows that some segments of the population
are more susceptible than others. The paper particularly seeks to investigate the factors that result
in this disparity.
Literature review
A vast literature presents diverse views to answer the issue under study in this paper.
Markwick et al. (2014) did a study to determine the determinants of health for Indigenous adults
in the state of Victoria in comparison to non-indigenous counterparts. They found a high
prevalence of mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression. The occurrence of mental
illnesses in this population was attributed to psychosocial risks such as financial stress and food
insecurity. Besides, lower socioeconomic status (SES) like being unemployed and low income
was found to play a fundamental role in the occurrence of depression and anxiety. Poor housing
affordability has also been found to cause mental health. One recent research pursued the
hypothesis that housing affordability stress (HAS) is linked to poor mental health. The authors
found that exposure to HAS caused a decline in mental health scores. In this study, men were
found to be more affected mentally by exposure to HAS than women (Bentley, Baker & Mason,
2012).
Kim and Knesebeck (2015) did a systemic review to determine the health-associated risk
of unemployment and job insecurity. Based on the various health outcomes studied, the lack of
employment and job insecurity were strongly linked to mental health. Job insecurity was also
linked to with somatic symptoms. The lack of employment and job insecurity are associated with
worsening health conditions and even mortality. In fact, some individuals tend to commit suicide
due to unemployment. Enticott et al. (2016) explored the relationship between mental health and
remoteness and area deprivation. They discovered that individuals living in the most

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 5
disadvantaged quintiles are more likely to report psychological disorder than those in the least
disadvantaged quintiles. This argument is supported by Fone and colleagues, who found that
income inequality is significantly linked to poor mental health (Fone et. al., 2013). On the other
hand, racism and discrimination are attributable to the high incidence of suicide. Indigenous
people might feel intimidated due to racism and eventually take their life. In conclusion, the
literature review points to inequality amplified by social factors as the major cause of mental
disorders and suicide.
Critique
Social psychology is the chosen social science discipline to critique the literature. Based
on the current literature, it is evident that socioeconomic factors lead to a significant number of
mental disorders. The occurrence of mental disorders in some segments of the Australian
population is attributable to social psychological themes such as incomplete psychosocial
development, feeling of helplessness caused by perceived lack of control and failure to get the
nonmonetary benefits of employment. Erikson’s model of adult psychosocial development notes
the importance of prosperous engagement within one’s work for healthy ageing. The
implications of failing to achieve developmental challenges include emotional despair (Malone
et. al., 2016). He hypothesised that emotional and personality development in adulthood requires
that individuals believe they are making steps to better themselves by providing for their
community and family. Contrarily, during unemployment, low SES or insecure job condition
self-esteem is compromised resulting in anxiety and depression. The lack of employment and job
loss can prompt a chain of adversity including relational and financial strain, which can result in
depression and suicide. Indeed, suicide risk is closely linked to unemployment as well as lack of
job security (Woo & Postolache, 2008). When a person is unable to secure meaningful work,
they tend to feel helplessness due to the lack of influence. In the line of this view, constant
helplessness can result in depression.
In the literature review, loss of employment has been outlined as one of the triggers of
mental disorders because it is socially and psychologically destructive. The social and
psychological response to stressful events, such as loss of employment progresses through
various stages. The initial stage is characterised by shock, and at this stage, the person is still

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 6
optimistic. In the progression of unemployment, the person becomes pessimistic and experiences
active distress. An elevated level of frustration, depression, disappointment and anxiety
eventually leads to poor mental health. Further, subjective social status is positively associated
with mental disorders. Subjective social status can be viewed in terms of relative deprivation
(McLaughlin et. al., 2012). A person can be better off or worse compared to others in the
community. In case a person is worse than other people in the society, they have high chances of
experiencing psychological distress, which worsens over time. Another social psychology
perspective is the aspect of the social class, which is propagated by differences in SES level.
Notably, social class may impact susceptibility to mental illness in several ways. This influence
can be justified since social class determines the position held by individuals in institutional
sectors, attitudes and way of thinking as well as lifestyle. The attitudes and way of thinking
might cause an individual to adopt behaviours that are risk factors for mental health such as
substance abuse.
Personal Response
In relation to the topic of study, my inference is that there is a correlation between SES
and the risk of mental health. In fact, low SES status increases the risk of mental health. As an
individual acquires a higher SES, their risk of mental disorders is greatly lowered. The SES in
my response is influenced by employment status, job security, housing affordability and the level
of poverty. Economic stress is the possible explanation for the association between mental
disorders and SES. In a personal opinion, low-income earners and individuals living in remote
areas experience psychological distress because they lack adequate resources for basic living.
The lack of basic requirements tends to cause mental anxiety in both adults and children.
Conclusively, the social environment shapes the mental health as well as many common mental
disorders. Social inequalities are generally linked to increased risk of poor mental health.
Conclusion/Recommendations
In conclusion, the findings of this paper answer the question on why some Australians
experience a high incidence of mental illnesses and suicide. Socioeconomic factors are important
in the occurrence of mental disorders, where those living in low SES experience high incidence
of mental illnesses. The incidence of mental illnesses has been explored in the context of social

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 7
psychology. The primary recommendation of this paper is the need for the progressive
development of preventive and early intervention initiatives that particularly pay attention to the
adverse effects of unemployment, job loss, area deprivation, and job insecurity. As such, the
Australian government should consider improving the social condition of those living in low
SES to address the high prevalence of mental illnesses and suicide.

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 8
References
Bentley, R., Baker, E., & Manson, K. (2012). Cumulative exposure to poor housing affordability
and its association with mental health in men and women. Journal of Epidemiology
Community Health, 66(9), 761-766.
Enticott, J. C., Meadows, G. N., Shawyer, F., Inder, B., & Patten, S. (2016). Mental disorders
and distress: Associations with demographics, remoteness and socioeconomic deprivation
of area of residence across Australia. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,
50(12), 1169-1179.
Fone, D., Greene, G., Farewell, D., White, J., Kelly, M., & Dunstan, F. (2013). Common mental
disorders, neighbourhood income inequality and income deprivation: small-area
multilevel analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(4), 286-293.
Kim, T. J., & von dem Knesebeck, O. (2015). Is an insecure job better for health than having no
job at all? A systematic review of studies investigating the health-related risks of both job
insecurity and unemployment. BMC public health, 15(1), 985.
Kinchin, I., & Doran, C. M. (2017). The economic cost of suicide and non-fatal suicide behavior
in the Australian workforce and the potential impact of a workplace suicide prevention
strategy. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(4), 347.
Markwick, A., Ansari, Z., Sullivan, M., Parsons, L., & McNeil, J. (2014). Inequalities in the
social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: a cross-
sectional population-based study in the Australian state of Victoria. International journal
for equity in health, 13(1), 91.
Malone, J. C., Liu, S. R., Vaillant, G. E., Rentz, D. M., & Waldinger, R. J. (2016). Midlife
Eriksonian psychosocial development: Setting the stage for late-life cognitive and
emotional health. Developmental psychology, 52(3), 496.
McLaughlin, K. A., Costello, E. J., Leblanc, W., Sampson, N. A., & Kessler, R. C. (2012).
Socioeconomic status and adolescent mental disorders. American journal of public
health, 102(9), 1742-1750.

DEVELOPING A SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE 9
Slade, T., Johnston, A., Teesson, M., Whiteford, H., Burgess, P., Pirkis, J., Saw, S. (2009).
The Mental Health of Australians 2. Report on the 2007 National Survey of Mental
Health and Wellbeing. Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra.
Woo, J. M., & Postolache, T. Τ. (2008). The impact of work environment on mood disorders and
suicide: Evidence and implications. International Journal on Disability and Human
Development, 7(2), 185-200.