Financial Debt Predicts Poor Mental Health Outcomes
A new study finds that difficulty repaying debt is associated with increased instances of common mental disorders.
A new study published
in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research explores the two-way relationship between debt and common mental disorders (CMDs). On examining Netherlands’ adult population, the authors found the more difficult a debt was to pay off, the higher the likelihood of onset of CMDs.
The study was led by Margreet Ten Have of The Netherland Institute of Mental Health and Addiction. The authors write:
“Increasing levels of difficulty in repaying debts predicted onset of CMD at follow-up in those without 12-month CMD at baseline and persistence of CMD at follow-up in those with 12-month CMD at baseline.”