Public service cuts are harming mental health

Cuts to public services are directly linked to mental health problems, according to campaign group Psychologists Against Austerity.

It says that austerity policies have damaging psychological costs and are creating mental health problems now while storing up more for the future.

It identifies five “austerity ailments”: humiliation and shame; fear and distrust; instability and insecurity; isolation and loneliness; and being trapped and powerless.

And it says that job insecurity is just as damaging for mental health as unemployment.

“Simply getting people into any job doesn’t help people’s mental health, unless that work is good quality, secure, and people have autonomy over their work,” psychology lecturer Laura McGrath told Labour Research.

Speaking at the Institute for Employment Rights’ seminar on workplace issues last month, McGrath and clinical psychologist Vanessa Griffin also set out how being a member of a trade union can potentially bring a number of mental health benefits.

“Being part of a collective is one way to reduce isolation and increase agency in a workplace,” said McGrath.

• Delegates at the annual general meeting of the EIS Scottish teachers’ union last month debated how to address the impact of austerity on stress and ill-health, particularly as a result of excessive workloads and lack of resources.

https://psychagainstausterity.wordpress.com