Government policies designed to boost economic growth are having a devastating effect on the mental health of people living in poverty, according to a new report by the special rapporteur* on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter**.
The expert warns that increasing GDP at all costs is creating a “tide of poor mental health” among people in poverty.
While 970 million people, that is, 11% of the world’s population, suffer from some mental disorder, people with lower incomes have up to thrice more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses common than people with higher incomes.
«The mental health effects of living in a world enslaved to growth, obsessed with productivity and competitiveness, are increasingly recognized as factors contributing to burnout among white-collar professionals», says De Schutter.
Ignored crisis
«However, it is people who live in poverty, who work especially in informal or precarious jobs, who suffer the most from this condition, while at the same time they have fewer resources to cope with it, which creates a mental health crisis that to a large extent it is ignored and goes unnoticed,” says the rapporteur.
In an interview with UN News, De Schutter elaborated: “And one point that I would like to highlight, which I think is especially important in this report, is that the Inequalities are driving people crazy. Inequalities cause anxiety. People fear being left behind. And the more unequal a society is, the more even middle-class people fear falling into poverty. “That’s why they live stressed and develop symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
The report details how changes in working conditions and work “flexibility” measures have played a fundamental role in the increase in mental health problems affecting people with low incomes.
“Growth” decisions to push workers towards less standard forms of employment have led to fewer long-term employment contracts, more “casual” or “self-employed” part-time work, and as a result , a reduction in worker protections and wages.
Xochitl Álvarez is a Mexican delivery girl who uses the bicycle as a means of transportation and subsistence.
When unemployment can be healthier
“Surprisingly, in today’s 24/7 on-demand economy, unemployment can sometimes be a healthier option than taking a job,” De Schutter said.
“While unemployment can increase the risk of mental illness, precarious work has been shown to lead to even worse mental health outcomes, due to insecurity, lack of bargaining power, unfair pay and unpredictable working hours. that make it Impossible to manage a healthy work-life balance».
Labor protection
The expert called on governments to urgently address the increase in precarious work, establishing legal protections that guarantee decent work and a living wage.
He advocated for scheduling regulations that allow workers to know their schedules in advance and receive compensation if they change, as well as improving economic security by guaranteeing a minimum number of hours for part-time workers.
According to the report, economic security could also be achieved by strengthening social protection, for example through the introduction of a universal basic income (unconditional cash payments for all), an initiative that has been shown to improve mental health.
Depletion economics
«Our obsession with growth has created an economy of depletion: a race to increase the profits of a small elite in which millions of people have become too sick to run», stated the special rapporteur.
«Instead of fighting poverty, ‘growthism’ has led us down a path of extreme economic inequality, with disastrous consequences for rich and poor alikeas more unequal societies suffer higher rates of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.
“Only by standing up to this broken economic system, and putting well-being above the endless pursuit of more, can we begin to seriously address poverty and the mental health crisis that accompanies it.”
Olivier De Schutter (Belgium) is special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights since May 2020. He was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.
The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of the Special Proceduresgeneral name for the Council’s independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that deal with specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organization and provide their services in an individual capacity.