American writer Andrew Solomon explored the connection between mental illness and poverty in his book The Noonday Demon and his articles. He argued that poverty dramatically increases the risk of trauma and depression, often creating a cycle where the impoverished are unable to access psychiatric help. [1, 2, 3]

The Cycle of Depression and Impoverishment

Solomon highlighted the following key points regarding the intersection of poverty and mental health:

• The Cycle of Bleakness: It is frequently misunderstood that poor individuals are depressed simply because their circumstances are grim. Solomon pointed out that the reverse is often true: their lives remain bleak because they are too depressed to seize control and improve their circumstances. [1]
• High Rates and Underdiagnosis: Depression is ubiquitous among low-income and trauma-prone populations worldwide. Despite the severe prevalence, psychiatric disorders are highly underdiagnosed among the impoverished because they often fail to recognize their mental state as a treatable illness. [1, 2]
• Systemic Neglect: In many public health and social services (such as Medicaid in the United States), mental health concerns among poor claimants are frequently dismissed by examiners as being an inevitable part of living in poverty. [1]

For a deep dive into how Andrew Solomon analyzes the history, politics, and treatment of mental health across different socioeconomic and cultural groups: