Poverty does not cause mental health problems, until a disaster hits

A new study finds that in normal times, being poor does not make people more likely to have mental health issues. But after a major disaster, like an earthquake, poverty becomes a strong predictor of worse mental health.

For years, researchers have debated whether poverty directly causes mental health problems. This paper suggests that the link is not always there, but it can be 'activated' by extreme stress. This means that aid efforts after disasters might need to focus more on economic support, not just direct mental health services, to prevent long-term suffering.