Listening to Low-Income Patients: Mental Health Stigma Is a Barrier to Care
eAlert
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<p>Mental and emotional health issues are common among low-income people, who are more likely to suffer stress from financial difficulties or safety concerns in their home or community. </p><p>For the latest installment of our <em>Listening to Low-Income Patients</em> series, the Commonwealth Fund’s Shanoor Seervai and Corinne Lewis report that poor adults are often reluctant to seek care because of the stigma associated with mental illness in their communities. Costs and lack of information are additional barriers to treatment.</p>
<p>As one patient put it, “people are walking around with PTSD and don’t know it.” </p>