Mental Illness, By David Shipler And Scaling Up Mental...

Constantly, the issue of mental illness is ignored. It can affect just about anyone, this includes those below the poverty line. The article, â€Å"Scaling Up Mental Health Care† mentions how one in ten people are suffering from mental illness at any time. Mental illnesses can keep individuals from obtaining or maintaining a job, which can keep them below the poverty line. David Shipler wrote the novel, The Working Poor: Invisible in America, but he is culpable for completely skipping over the topic of mental illness which is a topic that needs to be properly addressed as disorders such as depression and anxiety is not as easy to treat. Clinical depression is classified as a mood disorder that causes prolonged periods of sorrow. This†¦show more content†¦At the same time, it is clear that having a mood disorder such as depression can keep an individual from being their best self. Therefore the ability to find and maintain work becomes increasingly difficult. In the article, â€Å"With Poverty Comes Depression† Alyssa Brown states that â€Å"†¦31% of Americans in poverty say they have been diagnosed with depression†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is a large percentage that needs to be taken seriously. A percentage that Shipler should have depicted in his novel on poverty as mental disorders can have a profound effect on an individual’s abilities. The constant periods of fear that keeps an individual from functioning describes a general anxiety disorder. Those with this mental illness experience irrational fears to situations, which can escalate into a panic attack and feeling as though they are dying. Anxiety can come from situations like job interviews, calling in sick for work, or social interactions in general. Shipler in his text mentions woman living with poverty, named Camellia Woodruff, who failed to turn up to orientation for a job (Shipler 123). This woman, was filled with anxiety and self-doubt both of which are possible signs of having a mental illness. According to Jitender Sareen’s research article, Anxiety Disorders and Risk for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts anxiety disorders can lead to increased chances of thoughts or acts of suicide. A serious issue that cannot be taken lightly. If individuals living with poverty not only have