This post was updated on May 7, 2023.

Children who struggle with mental health issues can suffer from anxiety, depression, ADHD and other mental, behavioral or developmental disorders.

For children who live in poverty, the every-day burdens of their difficult circumstances can be detrimental to their mental health, which can jeopardize their success in school and their chances of escaping poverty in adulthood.

According to a 2018 report by the CDC, among children living below 100% of the federal poverty level, more than 1 in 5 had a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this number is expected to grow.

Students in poverty do not have access to the same support systems of their higher-income peers. This makes it difficult for them to get proper medical care to mitigate long-term effects of their mental health struggles.

The correlation between living in poverty and mental health struggles is related to exposure to stress.

Children in poverty endure much more stress than children from higher-income families, and they do so without a choice. Whether a parent loses their job or they were born into generational poverty, there is so much of their world that is out of their control, adding to their mental anguish.

This stress, especially toxic stress, increases the likelihood that children will suffer from mental health issues. Some of these stressors include parental stress, not having their basic needs met, lack of support systems, exposure to violence, vandalism, crime, and drug use, housing and food insecurity, and unemployment.

While not all children in poverty face all of these stressors or face them at the same time, the cumulation of these exposures deeply impacts their mental well-being, and even changes their brain development, affecting their language, learning and cognitive abilities.

Poverty and mental health struggles affect academic success

According to the CDC, “being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems.”

Stress and trauma related to living in poverty can greatly inhibit a child from attaining this complete picture of mental well-being. Children in poverty under stress have shown problems concentrating, comprehending and remembering new information or experiences, interacting with others, staying motivated, and exhibiting appropriate behavioral or emotional responses.

Low-income students also feel self-conscious about their socioeconomic status, home environments and even their own appearances due to lack of clothing and proper hygiene.

All of these factors play a significant role in the academic performance of children living at or below the poverty line, especially those who experience poverty over a longer period of time.

Poverty-related stress increases absenteeism and drop-out rates

The American Public Health Association reports that more than 50 percent of school absences are due to chronic stress. Students who experience poverty not only struggle to succeed in school, but find it difficult to finish school and graduate.

Low-income students are 10 times more likely to drop out of high school than their more affluent peers. This not only makes it difficult for children to succeed as adults, but perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

COVID-19, inflation, mental health and student success

The COVID-19 pandemic placed an exorbitant amount of stress on children, who are already the most vulnerable members of our society.

More than eight million Americans entered poverty during COVID-19.

Children and teens faced parental unemployment, deepened poverty, learning loss, forced employment, and other life-altering impacts. More than 300,000 children lost a parent or caregiver due to COVID-19.

In the pandemic aftermath, millions of Americans are struggling through an inflation crisis, wreaking havoc on their budgets, ability to afford basic necessities, and their mental health.

Children are already the largest portion of the US population living in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath has only exacerbated the mental health and educational struggles of these children.

Children have not only lost skills in reading and math, but they’ve lost the ability to cope and find motivation to learn in their classes.

Take Action:

Learn more about how you can help students in poverty find success beyond their struggles.

About Catie’s Closet:

Catie’s Closet provides free clothing, toiletries and other essentials to students in grades prek-12 who are living at or below the poverty line. Students have access to their most basic needs in a discrete and caring way, and in turn, they feel supported, get a boost in their self-esteem, and can focus on school and having fun as a kid.

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