by Kathi Dubuque

Created on: February 19, 2008

Depression is no more invariably linked to money than other issues such as child abuse, alcoholism or drug addiction. All of the above occur across the socio-economic spectrum. Can depression have an effect on one's income and standard of living? Certainly. The inability to function effectively while depressed can cause unemployment which obviously will effect a person's financial status. Someone with a low-paying job or limited benefits can suffer a negative impact on his or her finances due to the cost of treatment. However, there are millions of people in the U.S. and other parts of the world who live at or below the poverty level who have never suffered from depression, and go through life with a positive outlook despite the daily challenges they face because of their limited income.

Does a lack of financial stress, or an above average income prevent depression or guarantee happiness? We all know better, one just has to turn on television or pick up the newspaper to find out which stars or other wealthy people are dealing with depression. A stay-at-home wife and mother can suffer from the same debilitating level of depression as a person who works a minimum wage job, with no effect on her or the family's income. Likewise a millionaire with people in his employ to handle all of his financial dealings can suffer from severe depression in spite of his wealth, and without an effect on his monetary worth.

Modern medical advances have shown that some people are predisposed to depression and other mental illnesses, whether it's hereditary or a matter of a chemical imbalance. Some depression is known to be situational, the result of a major life event such as divorce, job loss, serious illness or the death of a loved one. A person who already has risk factors for depression may have greater difficulty dealing with this type of event than someone without them. Depression can be influenced by a number of outside circumstances, such as home environment, job security, the status of current relationships, and financial stability (or lack thereof), but it's not caused by them.

As someone who has dealt with depression on several occasions, and who's income level has been at or below the poverty level more often or not, I can testify that while financial difficulties can add to depression, it is not necessarily a cause. There have been times in my life when I've dealt with extremely stressful financial issues, and not had a moment of depression as a result. Other times, when things were going well, and my income was at it's best in years, I sank into the pit of a severe depression that lasted for many months. The lack of money may contribute to or be influenced by depression. However, the old adage that money can't buy happiness still holds true!

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