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PSYCHOLOGY AND POVERTY: SOCIAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES 1

Psychology and Poverty: Social and Mental Health Challenges

Weston Corbitt

Southern New Hampshire University


Psychology and Poverty: Prevalence of Problems

Kalamazoo, Michigan is home to many wonderful things: two cutting edge colleges, a

community college where dreams start to take hold, microbrews for those who enjoy different

ideas on an old product, art, sports and much more. Sadly it is also home to its fair share of

problems. 36% of children in the city (not counting the large college student population of 18-24

year olds) live below the poverty line, as well as 19.2% in the county (Kalamazoo County Health

and Community Services, 2012). Michigan is also not at fault. Michigan is also above the

national average for children below the poverty line (15.7%) of 14.4%, displaying the entire state

has a problem with its children being at a socioeconomic level below what is acceptable

(Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, 2012). Poverty is not just a problem for

government officials, social workers or charity organizations. Psychology can come into play as

well.

The prevalence of this problem is undeniable. The city of Kalamazoo (these statistics

were adapted to not account for the large student population of 18 to 24 year olds that could

skew the statistics, they could live off of loans or parental money, and therefore appear to live in

poverty but really are not for the purpose of this study) has more than a third of its children in

poverty (Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, 2012). One of five Michigan

children is also below the poverty line, with the national level of 14.4%; poverty is a problem for

children (Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, 2012). Not having enough food,

heat or a safe home are solvable with charity and social welfare programs. But what of the

mental health of the children? Anxiety and depression are prevalent in children living in poverty

(Butler, 2014). The hopelessness and worry of poverty can trickle down and affect the children


as much as the parents. The focus of this project is not only alleviating poverty, but also

addressing the mental health issues of anxiety and depression that follows.

Assessment of Resources

There is data to find the amount of families and cases that are getting assistance to help

alleviate their poverty. In 2011, there were 1,292,013 cases for public assistance in the state of

Michigan (this included the Family Independence Program, the Food Assistance Program, the

State Disability Assistance, Child Development and Care and the State Emergency Relief

program) with 2,494,263 recipients (showing that children and other family members receive

funding) paying $3,945,291,164 in relief (Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services,

2012). Those numbers are encouraging. A great deal of money was paid out to many Michigan

citizens who lived in poverty, and many of them are children (Kalamazoo County Health and

Community Services, 2012). In Kalamazoo County, there was 39,417 cases, 68,627 recipients

and $104,953,281 in funding, with the Food Assistance Program ($81,415,577) leading the way

in funding for those below the government established level for poverty (Kalamazoo County

Health and Community Services, 2012). Why is this data important? This is helpful for showing

some of the resources available to the psychologist working with the case assigned to them.

When food and shelter is provided, stress and anxiety is alleviated (Roy & Raver, 2014). When

stress and anxiety are alleviated work can begin to treat other areas that are bothering the patient

such as depression. With the extra cases of poverty in this county and the state overall, having

this resource at the ready can make an impact moving forward with treatment (Roy & Raver,

2014).


Other resources exist for Kalamazoo when the need to treat children living in poverty

arises. Two major hospitals, Borgess and Bronson, are headquartered in Kalamazoo. Western

Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College are all

centered in Kalamazoo. Colleges can not only offer discounted services (because those helping

the children will be students themselves and still in training) but also research new techniques

and data when it comes to the subject of psychology. All these resources can help a psychology

program arise to help children overcome mental health issues while living in poverty, and makes

Kalamazoo an ideal environment to start a pilot program in helping this demographic.

Utilizing a large base of psychologist and mental health professionals, these children

suffering from anxiety and depression can begin to find relief and overcome the problems

brought on by a poor environment (Butler, 2014). As said previously, multiple colleges can offer

discounted services to these children, as well as the two major hospitals in the city providing

enough care to those involved. Cognitive therapy can be a successful option in alleviating stress

and depression (Davis, 2014). If some assistance is provided for the material wealth problems,

psychology can begin to alleviate the stress and depression placed on these children.

Impact of Poverty and Psychology

Poverty in families are not just a social problem, but also one that affects mental health.

Social problems (socioeconomic status mainly, but issues of ethnic problems and new

immigrants can make the problem worse) such as single-parent households, residential crowding,

caregiver-depression and multiple life stressors can lead to deficiencies in academic

performance, behavior problems and self regulatory skills (Roy & Raver, 2014). Different

children experience different levels of challenges, and if left untreated can harm the community


they are in (Taylor, Grant, Amrhein, Carter, Farahmand, Harrison & Katz, 2014). Firstly (and

somewhat sadly could be the most important for government funding) alleviating the stress on

social programs can help end the cycle social welfare programs in family (Taylor, Grant,

Amrhein, Carter, Farahmand, Harrison & Katz, 2014). Over three billion dollars were spent in

Michigan for social welfare programs, and if children are given the tools to succeed (being

behaviorally stable and able to do well academically) the cycle will end and the money can be

applied to other areas (Taylor, Grant, Amrhein, Carter, Farahmand, Harrison & Katz, 2014).

Children with psychological problems can grow into adults with mental health issues and can

bring down a community by limiting the potential to what its members can do. Children who

were labeled academically or behaviorally behind (fairly or unfairly) have problems later in life,

and are not able to succeed as much as those who were more ethically treated (Fischer, 2013).

The importance of treatment is vital, for the society and culture of those children. By treating the

children and the parent’s condition (psychological or economic) there is hope in stopping the

cycle of emotional, behavioral and academic problems in a community much like Kalamazoo

(Roy & Raver, 2014). The proposal is find a way to create a low cost method of psychological

treatment for these children (specifically to address the prevalence of anxiety and depression),

factoring in the other areas besides cost (insurance and schooling are most likely taken off by

government assistance) as well as accounting for the different cultures of the children being

treated (Fischer, 2013). Treating the whole child as well as trying to help fix the problems of

poverty is the goal of this project. The hope is to enable these children and their families to

become mentally and emotionally fit and healthy to help them live to their potential.


Problem: Poverty and Psychology

Poverty is a wide ranging problem that can affect many aspects of life. In addition, it

harms more than just adults, (who are thought to be more responsible for their situation and

correcting it) with children suffering from depression and anxiety as well (Butler, 2014). Lack

of resources and comfort, as well as the stress of living in areas that can be affected by crime and

poor developmental environment (healthcare, schools) can all combine to create difficulties for

the children growing up in this world (Taylor, Grant, Amrhein, Carter, Farahmand, Harrison &

Katz, 2014). Poverty is far more than just lack of food or proper learning materials. Political

issues arise from the dilemma of giving “free money” to a small population that seemingly does

not affect most people (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman, 2014).

Poor educational settings and materials can harm intelligence and be a hindrance to the children

in question (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman, 2014). Children

could not have psychological disorders identified due to lack of resources and therefore suffer

while having little chance of treatment (Roy & Raver, 2014). Malnutrition and poor dietary

choices can also harm a child’s development highlighting the need for food assistance programs

like SNAP and WIC (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman, 2014).

These children are helpless in most cases, and need assistance from the government to have any

chance of growing and thriving as normal functioning human beings.

Psychological Theory Explanation

The problems of poverty can sometimes be a generational ordeal that cannot be stopped

or changed no matter the amount of assistance or programs developed by the government

(Snowden, 2014). What developmental theory can explain the reasoning behind this? Should


any program be instituted, or will be another spoke in the wheel of failed ideas and wishful

thinking?

Behaviorism is a theory that can explain the behavioral and social problems of poverty by

examining the environment of those growing up in it. Behaviorism believes that the

environment, and the human’s behavior in response to their environment, is a large reason

behind the shaping of ideas, beliefs and actions (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Using a real world

example, if a child sees crime and poverty all around them and barely any ways to escape the

situation, depression may set in (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, &

Steadman, 2014). These children have their depressive behavior reinforced by what they hear

and what they see adults around them doing, who in turned learned this behaviors from their

parents (Butler, 2014). Quickly, the children learn behaviors to adapt and succeed in their

environment. Sometimes psychologists will observe children not focusing on school but instead

choosing to take part in riskier behavior (examples include drug use, criminal activity) to help

alleviate the stress of lack of resources or enjoyment in life (Roy & Raver, 2014). Single-parent

households, residential crowding, caregiver-depression and multiple life stressors can lead to

difficulties in academic performance, behavioral problems and self regulatory skills in children

and can help explain the difficulties they face succeeding later in life (Roy & Raver, 2014). The

environment could be the leading reason to behind why the children are having difficulties, and

be the same reason why they cannot seem to break its grip on their family’s lives (Cervone &

Pervin, 2013). Examining a specific age group, (eight to thirteen year olds) we can find out how

depressive symptoms develop in children. This example is typical for some children living in

poverty, and shows how interacting with their environment at home, school and socially harm

their growth. The child wakes up and their parents (or parent, if they are one of the many single-


parent households) is stressing over their day and schedule (Butler, 2014). The child observes

this worry and internalizes it, then has to find what they can for breakfast. The stress of

worrying about basic needs wears heavy on the youngster, and they have to get themselves ready

for school as their parent has already left for work. The low income housing has problems with

crime and is sometimes terrifying to the child (Butler, 2014). It is hard when your home does not

even feel safe. At school, which if in an urban environment is overcrowded and underfunded,

the child feels isolated and any learning or psychological disorder largely goes lost in the crowd

(Butler, 2014). The hopelessness of falling behind in studies by observing their peers succeeding

hurts their emotions and leads to depressive symptoms (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Returning

home provides no comfort, and the child begins to build depressive symptoms due to their

environment (Cervone & Pervin, 2013).

Social Learning theory is similar to behaviorism, with the added wrinkle of people trying

to reason about the world using language and is concerned with more contemplation surrounding

present and future situations as well as the past. Social interactions are also more important to

the development of a person than it is in Behaviorism (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Stress and

anxiety occur when situations become taxing and overburdening, and traits of personality are

developed by observation of peers and role models (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). This can also

explain the reasoning behind the problems of poverty in children. Often situations can be

overbearing for those in tough economic circumstances, where a safety net does not exist if the

little thing goes wrong (Snowden, 2014). Behavior is modeled by those who raise them, and

traits are carried through generations (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Interactions with teachers who

say they are falling behind (can be translated as not “good enough” by the child), talking with

parents who are overwhelmed and unprepared for raising a child, as well as observing the poor


environment around them can all build a social learning model for depression in children

(Cervone & Pervin, 2013).

Behaviorism and Social Learning theory show the psychological reasons behind

individual poverty. Behind those difficulties also exist social problems with the economy,

availability of jobs, attitudes towards immigrants, and harmful stereotypes surrounding

minority’s intelligence and abilities (Snowden, 2014). By applying both these developmental

theories to the problem of youth anxiety and depression, we can see that environmental factors

are mostly at fault for the diagnosis of these symptoms (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). By curing the

environment, we can also cure the child and begin to see normal development occur (Roy &

Raver, 2014). Comparing them under the idea of “how children develop depression” it is easy to

see more similarities than differences (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Social welfare programs are

designed to help pay bills, provide food and supply healthcare to those in tough socioeconomic

situations. This could help alleviate some stress and depression, but if real progress is going to

be made, mental health programs designed around helping children will create the most lasting

results that could help break the cycle of poverty and poor mental health.

Comparison of Theories and Strategies Moving Forward

There are problems with each of theories and their explanations, and for creating an

intervention plan moving forward. Social Learning theory is more comprehensive than

Behaviorism, and offers ideas on how children will react with their environment and those

around them (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). At the same time, one must wonder what media means

to these children in an increasingly accessible world. Will they model their behavior after their

parents and siblings, or will they instead model traits and beliefs after their idols? This could be


positive or negative based on who the children identify with (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). This

theory could appear at times to believe the role models in the children’s live are not good role

models. This is false, as the project and subsequent intervention wishes to display that this

population values different successes and shuns different failures (Roy & Raver, 2014). Social

Learning differs from Behaviorism because the child in question do not just automatically react

to the environment based on the success or failures of the past (Cervone & Pervin, 2013).

Children ideally think about their future, and sometimes the future is less optimistic for some

than others. Social Learning theory adapts this idea, and the hopelessness and inevitability of

their situation can lead to further mental health problems and call for the need for more treatment

and intervention (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman, 2014).

Behaviorism has the beauty of being simple, but also it leads to some problems. For

example, Behaviorism fails to address the assignment of meaning that humans give to

environmental events (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). A child failing a test could be devastating to

one person but nothing to worry about for another. Lack of success can be hard to define, and

those in poverty could have mental health troubles for different reasons. Perhaps one person

defines their success in a totally alien way than another person. Social Learning theory helps

explain the differences like this that can occur, as well as expands on the simpler ideas lay out by

Behaviorism (Cervone & Pervin, 2013).

When it comes to both theories, there are some questions about what the individual

development theories mean and what roles social psychology plays. What role does the region,

religion or ethnicity play in the development of children? For some minorities, opportunities are

lower and chances are scarce (Snowden, 2014). In addition, what do the attitudes of immigrants

and the children of immigrants (whose cultures and beliefs can vary greatly from country to


country) mean when they come into the United States? Individual development theories still

hold true for them, but with different opportunities and ideas about these chances, do they react

in the same way? Are their attitudes different towards the daily struggle that happens, or are they

more grateful based on what they experienced previously? These questions should be answered

for these specific population groups, and could affect the findings and intervention strategies for

this research project.

Intervention Efficacy

Poverty can lead to wide ranging problems that affect young adults in development of

their academic, behavioral and emotional aspects of their life. Harming more than just adults,

who are more responsible for the socio-economic welfare of their family, poverty can lead to

anxiety and depression that trickles down to the children (Butler, 2014). The lack of resources

and home comforts such as healthcare, quality education, food, heat, and safety can combine to

create a difficult environment for anyone to grow up in (Taylor, Grant, Amrhein, Carter,

Farahmand, Harrison & Katz, 2014). Developmental theories offer ideas on how people grow

and become adults, but do they offer ideas on how to intervene and change the future of these at-

risk children? Utilizing two of the most important and influential theories of the Twentieth

century, Social Learning and Behaviorism, this project offers ideas on how to intervene and

psychologically treat some of the wrongs that have occurred in these children.

Behaviorism, a theory built on believing the environment is the chief architect of human

behavior and thinking, offers a good deal of hope for intervention with those who come from less

than ideal surroundings (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). A child may develop anxiety when they do

not know if they will have a nice warm place to sleep, or food to eat every night not provided by


school (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman, 2014). Vicarious

observation of role models, either in real life settings or in media, will lead to behaviors being

acted out by the children (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). This will be in response to their

environment, and may not reflect “traditional” values of successful children. An example of this

could be a child who focuses less on school work and more on social interactions to protect

themselves and their family from the lack of resources, such as food.

Children are adaptive and find ways to cope with less than ideal environments, and

Behaviorist ideals can take advantage of this aspect (Roy & Raver, 2014). As Skinner would

have theorized, there is nothing really wrong with the child, but the environment is to blame

(Cervone & Pervin, 2013)! The first step would be to address the shortcomings in the

environment. Government assistance programs and charities can help with the lack of food and

money, providing funds to pay bills and a chance to reduce stress and anxiety for the family in

question (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman, 2014). Educational

grants can help parents go back to school and try to start a new career that pays more and helps

alleviate the poverty they face (Carr, Thompson, Dalal, de Guzman, Gloss, Munns, & Steadman,

2014). Once this step is taken, addressing psychological problems such as anxiety and

depression (providing resources will not cure all problems) can take place. Modeling correct

behaviors can help the child see how to act properly in a variety of situations (Cervone & Pervin,

2013). The more important aspect of intervention will be rewarding positive behavior and

punishing negative behavior (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). A researcher could give out tokens to be

exchanged for prizes when the child behaves well in class or passes his therapy “homework” at

home (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). These can be exchanged for treats, extra free time or computer

games at school. Negative behavior can be reported by their teachers and parents and addressed


by correcting behavior through reinforcement (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). With proper behaviors

being taught and resources allocated, the negative impacts of poverty can be corrected through

Behaviorist interventions.

Social Learning theory began as a form of Behaviorism, and is related in many ways. It

is more concerned with social interactions and the use of language in development (Cervone &

Pervin, 2013). Social Learning adds in the concept of people learning from their past and

contemplating their future into its developmental theory (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Social

Learning can be described as a Behaviorist take on the unique human gifts of cognition (Cervone

& Pervin, 2013). Children living in poverty would develop negative mental health patterns

(according to Social Learning theory) due to modeling their behavior to attain their goals

(Cervone & Pervin, 2013). The children’s motivations come from their goals, and stress arises

when they find their circumstances taxing or exceeding their abilities (Cervone & Pervin, 2013).

Much like Behaviorism, the child will have positive behavior modeled, and reinforced until their

problems are reduced. Unlike Behaviorism, their unique motivations will be examined, and the

children will be asked to speculate and plan for their future and alter behaviors to match their

goals (Cervone & Pervin, 2013).

Intervention Selection

Considering the population being worked with in this intervention strategy, the author of

this project feels the best strategy will be to utilized Social Learning theory. Children will

respond well to setting goals and being motivated to attain them. In addition, modeling proper

behaviors and reinforcing them to increase positive actions will help the child overcome

shortcomings cause by poverty (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). The therapy can be adapted to work


with any culture, since the family and children will set their own goals and work inside cultural

norms. Familial therapy will be key with this intervention strategy. Parents will help in the

shaping of behavior (through reinforcement and positive modeling) and work towards reducing

stress and anxiety in the child’s life (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). They can provide “extra” therapy

by giving homework and working with the mental health team to shape behaviors and alleviate

problems (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). By using the child’s own abilities to think about their

past, future and goals, therapists can help the child beat the depression and anxiety of living in

poverty, as well as modeling positive behaviors in children (Snowden, 2014). Modeling

behavior could be done by internet games (basing a character’s behavior and interactions in the

game on real challenges that the child is going through) by watching a video displaying proper

social interaction techniques, as well as modeling with other children in a group activity

designed to show proper techniques of interaction (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Another option

would be cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short term goal

oriented treatment that lets people to think and change their behavior by guided examination and

problem solving, with the ultimate goal being people changing the way they feel and react

(Davis, 2013). A child could examine why they react and think like they do, and change the

patterns and behaviors they have adapted. Instead of being defeated by poverty, they can

recognize and work on the challenges that arise, and set goals to work towards (Davis, 2013).

By using these therapy techniques, spawned from developmental theories of psychology, there is

hope that the economic and mental health practices can help alleviate the strain of poverty on

children.


Ethical Concerns in Intervention

There are ethical concerns in using this intervention strategy for children. Extra ethical

considerations must be taken when working with adolescents who have encountered legal trouble

(Fischer, 2013). Even dealing with older groups of young adults requires extra precaution.

Children are a vulnerable population that needs to be protected by those in the psychological

community whenever possible. This falls on the hands of the provider as well. Consent from the

parents should be taken before intervention is taken, and only upon the recommendation of a

special education teacher, social worker, or primary care physician (Fischer, 2013). Extensive

screening should take place to ensure the child truly has problems and is not being unfairly

singled out. This will only cause more stress for the child in question (Fischer, 2013).

It is also a concern in that the child and parents dictate the goals and motivations of the

therapy. It would be unethical for the mental health worker to set goals that the parents or child

are not comfortable with (Fischer, 2013). There is also a concern about overtaxing the child (a

cause of stress and anxiety in the Social Learning theory) by giving them too much responsibility

in thinking of their future and goals and trying to motivate them towards said goals (Fischer,

2013). Remembering that these are just children, in a situation they cannot control, should be the

underlying theme in the entire process.

Theories In Summary

To conclude, Social Learning theory seems the appropriate route when planning an

intervention strategy when working with children living in poverty. Anxiety, depression and

lack of focus on traditional childhood concerns (school, friends, fun activities and personal

growth) are harmful to the entire community (Butler, 2014). Often this includes members of


minorities and immigrants who’s crimes are only being born in an area that has been

experiencing problems for generations (Snowden, 2014). By modeling proper actions, lessening

the stress and anxiety of a poverty lifestyle, shaping proper behaviors and setting goals and

motivations that the child can strive for, Social Learning theory offers hope for those who rarely

know it, and could help cure a community of a problem that is wide ranging and affects all of

those in the human community.

Implementation Plan: Narrative

This program will be designed to help families in need of mental health treatment and

essential services such as food assistance, welfare programs and medical and psychological

treatment. The program will be set in the United States (a pilot study will take place in

Kalamazoo, with the extensive knowledge of its resources being an ideal environment), and

work with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) in providing targeted families

to help as well as providing services that the family need other than mental health treatment

(Butler, 2014). This team will be made up of social workers, doctors, nurses, teachers and

special education providers, and the other team will be made of mental health professionals

ready to treat the other affects of poverty (Snowden, 2014). The target population will be

families with children currently living in poverty, defined differently by almost every state in

America (but based on income levels in addition to family size) and approved for services by the

DHS (Butler, 2014). .

The length of time of treatment will also differ based on what area of services are being

provided. Some states have different regulations for medical care and food assistance in terms of

how much is provided for how long, and that will be handled separately (Kalamazoo County


Health and Community Services, 2012). For the mental health portion of this study, the study

should last about six months in length. Family and individual therapy will be performed

throughout, with CBT and modeling (which are effective and short term therapy options) being

pillars of the therapy (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). Goals will be set, and behaviors and thinking

changed. With the assistance of social welfare programs, great strides should be made in a

relatively short period of time.

The capacity of the program depends on the areas of concern. As discussed earlier, the

city of Kalamazoo is well adapted to handling a larger load of cases. Some cities will not be able

to handle the strain of so many children needing help. Each city will have to set its limits based

on its worker base and need for help (Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services,

2012). The pilot study city of Kalamazoo has a large base of patients in need, as well as large

funds for food and money assistance to help test the hypothesis for this study.

Implementation Plan: Training

This plan is fortunate to have many pieces already in place and ready for implementation.

The DHS and social workers network is already in place and ready to identify people of need of

this program. In addition, social welfare programs are well set up and ready to help those in

need, and this program can design a plan to get the welfare programs up and running for these

families in a quick period of time. For training those on the mental health side, the project

should hire those well experienced and knowledgeable in developmental and child psychology.

With their strong background, they can assess, diagnose, identify and treat children suffering

from anxiety and depression as well any co morbid disorders that could be present (Cervone &


Pervin, 2013). The mental health team will have to be knowledgeable of CBT and modeling

therapy techniques, or trained quickly by more experienced members.

Training should be very limited in this project proposal. This is attractive because it

saves time and money, while still being an effective option for helping these children. By using

systems already in place and drawing from a large talent pool this proposal limits resources used

without harming the overall product or results.

Implementation Plan: Assessment

For this project there will have be a system in place to track progress that is made and to

find if the theory is effective. Before being entered in the program, a quantitative study will be

used to not only take a census of those being treated (ethnicity, age, number of children,

education level, services both psychological or welfare sought before, income level, hours

worked, type of housing) to track if the social welfare programs lead to more personal success.

In addition, a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) assessment will be given

to the children before and after starting the program (Cervone & Pervin, 2013). This will be

helpful in assessing if the program was successful in helping alleviate negative behavioral

aspects of poverty, as well as selecting the children who would be most helped by the program

(Cervone & Pervin, 2013). The evidence should show that the therapy in addition to receiving

social welfare assistance will lead to less depression and anxiety for the children, and an overall

better quality of life.

Implementation Plan: Ethics

As stated before, this project is working with a very vulnerable section of the population.

Children should always be protected because they are unaware of many of the processes of


psychologically testing and assessment, and therefore cannot spot when predatory practices are

taking place (Fischer, 2013). Informed consent should always take place, and at any time the

family can ask to opt out of the program. Legal counsel should be available in case the family

feels they are being taken advantage by any member of the treatment team (Fischer, 2013). The

child should not be over stressed or worked beyond their capacities. This is especially true for

children suffering from high levels of stress and depression.

Another ethical question concerns the completion of the program. It would be unethical

to have a family start treatment but be unable to complete the program due to difficulties in

transportation, time off of work, or finding time for families to come together (Fischer, 2013).

Ethical considerations should be taken for the entire process, not just for the treatment being

planned out. Starting treatment must have a plan in place to finish, and every chance the mental

health team has to assist in completion should be taken (Fischer, 2013).

Family based interventions should include a great deal of ethics as well. Any family

member should be allowed to attend, especially if they take part in raising of the child(ren)

(Fischer, 2013). The family should be told of the goals of treatment, and the reasoning behind

the treatment taking place. The clarity of the program, as well as the goals and the social welfare

being assigned, will increase trust between the two parties and chance of success in this program.

The answers will be more accurate, and the evidence will be more clear in its support or refuting

of the hypothesis (Fischer, 2013). By treating all of your participants with respect and trying to

keep the beneficence as high as possible, as well as non-maleficence, ethical problems should be

low with this program. By using systems in place and trained professionals fluent in the field

and in therapy plans, the goal is to keep ethical problems limited and the success rates high

(Fischer, 2013).


Conclusion

By changing the environment, offering services and treatment to those who may need it

the most (but cannot afford it without government assistance) the hope is to help those overcome

their problems while also trying to break the cycle of poverty and depression in families. By

aggressively treating problems in children and families while offering services to overcome the

shortcomings in resources, families should see progress and entire communities can start to see

positive gains in multiple fields, not just depression and anxiety reduction.


Reference

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Carr, S. C., Thompson, M., Dalal, A. K., de Guzman, J. M., Gloss, A., Munns, L., & Steadman,

A. (2014). Psychology and poverty reduction: A global special issue. International

Perspectives In Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 3(4), 215-237.

doi:10.1037/ipp0000021

Cervone, D., & Pervin, L. A. (2013). Personality: Theory and Research (12th ed.). Jefferson

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