Breaking the cycle of poverty and its effects on mental health

Poverty not only limits people’s access to material resources, but it also has a profound impact on mental health. A study conducted in several countries highlights this relationship and goes further: poverty affects people’s self-regulation abilities, which in turn increases the risk of developing depression, anxiety, and trauma. (Lund C et al. Strengthening self-regulation and reducing poverty to prevent adolescent depression and anxiety). This connection is particularly critical among adolescents whose psychosocial development is compromised by adverse surrounding conditions.

In Puerto Rico, where 57% of children and youth live below poverty standards, breaking this cycle is urgent. The approach must go beyond economics and integrate two strategies at the socio-emotional level: preventive and remedial. Epigenetics has shown that the effects of trauma may be transmitted genetically from one generation to another. With this in mind, it is crucial to intervene from stages as early as pregnancy.

For example, pregnant individuals exposed to the traumas that come with poverty need access to support services that prevent the intergenerational transmission of trauma itself. Screening and support programs promote positive development from pregnancy and throughout the upbringing. Additionally, other programs promote training parents and caregivers to stimulate socio-emotional development and cope with trauma. From birth and through crucial life stages, children and families in poverty must receive these preventive interventions, complemented by evidence-based support programs that promote healthy development.

The preventive approach must go beyond the emotional component and address other aspects such as job development, financial education, and professional training. The goal is for children and their families to receive continuous support that ensures optimal emotional development while finding viable paths out of poverty.

For those families already experiencing emotional distress, it is necessary to include a remedial approach, ensuring access to adequate therapeutic services. These services must be designed to meet individual needs and family dynamics. Adults must also receive support to develop the ability to regulate their emotions beyond the family context. For example, in the workplace, both employees who come from poverty-stricken backgrounds and those working in challenging environments require ongoing socio-emotional support to manage the stress and trauma they face.

The tools to drive both approaches (preventive and remedial) already exist, but they are implemented on a very small scale in Puerto Rico. However, state and federal resources, as well as private entities and non-profit organizations, are working together from a Collective Impact approach to scale up these interventions. This will ensure that our children, youth, and families can break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential.

(Originally published in the Opinion section of El Nuevo Día.)