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Debt and mental health - Mind survey needs your help
Comments
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Chrisfitch, a very interesting survey but could I point out that yet again, carers of people with mental health problems have been forgotten about? I have cared for my husband (who has severe mental health problems) for the past 11 years. I have been made his appointee by the DWP and I deal with his benefits and all financial issues in our household, but was unable to contribute to this important survey as it is for mental health service users only. Please don't forget us carers in future!0
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It seems a lot depends on how u've been raised - if u're raised with austerity & 'save it' as a way of life, then being careful with money & resources can make u feel good, but I've got friends who have no money-sense @ all, & seem to need a spending-fix frequently! If u r like that, u need to literally 'change yr mind' with frequent suggestions & affirmation, till yr debts start to wane. I've found money-anxiety to be 1 of the worst things to make u feel locked-in to yr problems.0
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I've completed it, I hope it helps!
Also very pleased that someone is finally connecting the 2 things, sometimes I feel like the only one in that situation... financial people scare the life out of me and never seem to care about my illness!
On a positive note I am now just about debt free and coping!
Kee :TIf a post is helpful to you, please take a second to click "thanks", it makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
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Done ! This is an issue very close to my heart0
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An issue close to my heart also, will be interested to see the results and to find out if any creditors are sympathetic to those with mental ill health. Certainly not in my experience...0
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Dear all,
Firstly, many thanks for getting behind the survey - the fact that over 2000 have viewed this thread alone is fantastic news.
Secondly, Wombat thanks for being so helpful in reading the survey carefully. The reason why we ask about whether debt impacts on mental health, and ALSO why mental health impacted on debt is that we are interested in the inter-relationship between these two factors. So actually, this isn't an error, but is in fact an attempt to look at the dynamic relationship between these factors. I can understand your reasoning, but no, it isn't an error!
Thirdly, Minerva, yes totally agree that carers are an important group. However, the survey was commissioned by Mind with a focus on people with mental health problems, rather than carers. We'd very much like to repeat the study with carers, but need to secure funding to do so. Clearly issues around appointeeship and power of attorney are important ones, as well as the financial losses that carers endure from having to cut back on, or totally give up, employment.
Fourthly, many thanks to everyone else for filling in the survey. I will share the results with you and wish you a fantastic (and hopefully nearer to being debt-free) New Year.
With best wishes
Chris Fitch
(on behalf of the Mind research team)0 -
Hi Chris.
Thank you for taking the time to reply here.
Perhaps I didn't explain myself fully enough, but I'm sure there is an error in the survey.
Just to expand:
There are questions 17 - 20 as follows:
Q17 In your opinion, have your mental health problems made your debt or financial difficulties worse? (Expects a Yes/No answer. If Yes is answered, you are directed to Question 18....)
Q18 How have your mental health problems made your debt or financial difficulties worse? Please write in the box below.
(You are asked for more details on how your MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS have affected your DEBT. Then on to question 19....)
Q19 In your opinion, have your debt or financial difficulties made your mental health problems worse?
(Expects a Yes/No answer. If you answer YES, you are directed to question 20....)
Q20 How have your mental health problems made your debt or financial difficulties worse? Please write in the box below. (This is the SAME QUESTION as question 18 and surely should have been an expansion on Question 19 on how your DEBT has affected your MENTAL HEALTH?)
So, yes, you are covering the relationship between the two, but not if someone answers question 20 as it is printed as this is the same question which would have been answered 2 questions earlier. You don't ask for more details on how debt has affected Mental Health. You ask TWICE how Mental Health has affected DEBT.
I hope this clarifies my point.0 -
Thanks Wombat.
I've now taken a look at the survey and you are correct - there is a wrongly inserted sentence. I'll get this changed - thanks for the sharp eyes.
HOWEVER, I should stress that it DOESNT mean that those who have completed the survey have to do it again. There is no need for this.
Similarly, if people were thinking of completing the survey they SHOULD NOT postpone doing so, and should go ahead as planned.
Fortunately, this is a relatively less important question, and as it is free-text doesn't affect any of the statistical analyses we'll conduct. I've also taken a quick look at the responses we've had so far and it hasn't caused too many problems as people have adjusted their answers accordingly.
With thanks,
Chris0 -
It has recently been brought to my attention that N.Power are charging someone £10 for every £3 of electricity he uses . This is apparently because he has accrued arrears, because he did not use the minimum required amounts, during periods when he was either in hospital or in jail . This person has mental health problems and has difficulty understanding how he can be charged for something he has not used . IS THIS LEGAL?? It is certainly not moral.0
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I've filled this in... Over the summer of 07 I was suffering real financial difficulties and the stress it caused me and the impact it had on my mental health problems meant the relationship with my partner was under huge amounts of strain... this really is a link that needs to be looked at closer so I support any and all research into this 0
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