Affects of Economic Status on The Families Research Paper

Growing up I had the stereotypical life, a mom, dad, brother, two dogs, and a nice house. My parents blessed me with a life that has certain advantages including my families socioeconomic status, however I do not want to live my life looking through rose colored glasses and want to take a deeper dive into how people struggle to live in the lower socioeconomic class in the United States of America. My parents always talk about how hard they worked to give me the life I have, like going to an out of state college, able to try any sport I am interested in, as well as sending me to a private catholic school from elementary through high school. Despite being very blessed with all these advantages I have I have always been mindful of people that may not have the same advantages as I do. I believe that it is important to focus on the affects that economic Status has on the families both psychically but also mentally in order to affectively communicate within our society. 

I am focusing on the lower socioeconomic level in the United States of America. I have been blessed in my life with many advantages and I believe that opening your eyes to the world around you and the people who are different than you is very important in becoming a well rounded individual. The lower socioeconomic level in the United States, “…39 percent of African-American children and adolescents and 33 percent of Latino children and adolescents are living in poverty, which is more than double the 14 percent poverty rate for non-Latino, White, and Asian children and adolescents” (Kids Count Data Center, Children in Poverty 2014). Socioeconomic status also effects many aspects of these people’s lives like education, these students are enrolled in high poverty schools which do not have as good of an education as a public school in a higher class neighborhood. This leads to not many of these students attending college, finishing high school, and high unemployment rates. Going through school I attended a private catholic school, I believe this gave me both a good education but also an advantage in getting into a competitive college, Auburn University. Growing up I have never had to worry about being able to go school or if I can be able to be involved with any extracurricular activities. Antony S. R Manstead explains that “those who grow up in middle‐ or upper‐class environments are likely to have more material and psychological resources available to them, and as a result have strong beliefs about the extent to which they can shape their own social outcomes; by contrast, those who grow up in lower‐class environments are likely to have fewer resources available to them, and as a result have weaker beliefs about their ability to control their outcomes” (Manstead). Overall, socioeconomic status has numerous affects on these families lives and how difficult it is for them to successfully make it to the top unscathed from living in poverty. 

I spent most of my research focusing on the lower socioeconomic classes in the United States to see how it not just affects their physical life but also how it affects them mentally. The “lower-middle class—defined to include those with income between 100 and 250 percent of the federal poverty level, or between roughly $15,000 and $60,000, depending on family size and composition…” (Brookings). Earning in a household offend fluctuate, for example during the Coronavirus Pandemic many people lost their jobs because businesses where forced to fully close their doors. A big deception people can have about these working lower class families is that their paychecks seem to be a “livable” income, “However, this income they get is not what they receive, taxes will take up to half of these families paycheck. According to the survey, about six-in-ten (63%) adults in the lower class say they are less financially secure today than they were 10 years ago. In contrast, about four-in-ten middle-class adults (42%) and a quarter (24%) of those who say they are in the upper class say their financial situation is more precarious now than it was a decade ago” (Morin and Motel). When taxes are taken out of the paychecks it is often hard for these households to stretch this money between wants and necessities, like needing to pay all of the bills like rent or a mortgage, electricity, money for groceries, or buying their child new soccer cleats because the old ones are falling apart. 

Being in low income households also can affect people’s mental health. Stacy Hodgkinson states that “longitudinal research indicates that, compared with children of higher socioeconomic status (SES), children of low SES experience higher rates of parent-reported mental health problems and higher rates of unmet mental health needs” (Hodgkinson). These mental health issues are brought on by stressors like how they will be able to pay for all of their household necessities. This does not only affect the adults in poverty but also the children who grow up in low income households, the longer the exposure to these stressors can cause more effects to the young impressionable minds of children while their brains are still developing. Household also face problems trying to receive aid for these mental health issues, “children and families living in poverty face a range of barriers that reduce their ability to access mental health services, maintain compliance with treatment, and achieve favorable treatment outcomes…Additionally, lack of insurance or type of “carve out” and quantity of mental health services provided under managed care plans can prevent children and families from accessing needed mental health care services. (Hodgkinson). Along with the financial troubles to receive mental health resources, there is often a timing issue. With majorly of Psychologist’s clinical hours being during the work day, 9 am to 5 pm, many people can not sacrifice leaving their paying job during the day because they would not bring enough money home on their paycheck to their families. Lower income households have to trust these institutions in order for them to be willing to open up about their mental health struggles. 

These children and families also have a difficult time expressing that they need help because of the stigma that being in poverty is a self made problem and it is their fault they can not make more money. Recently there has been a push for these topics to be discussed more with these families, “the central characteristics of the PCMH, including a patient-centered orientation, comprehensive and coordinated team-based care, continuous access, and a system-based approach, reflect core elements that lead to improved mental health outcomes in primary care settings” (Hodgkinson). Families are encouraged to talk to their primary care doctor about their mental health as well as their children’s mental health. With this line of communication opening up the stigma that tells these families it is their fault that they are in poverty will hopefully be changed. The change of this stigma will also help resolve intercultural conflict between socioeconomic classes, with everyone having a common goal to change this stigma within in could lead to more connection between the socioeconomic classes in the United States.