“I feel like I am walking on the edge of a cliff and at any
moment I will fall off”.

A series of unique reports highlighting research by 8 communities living in areas of high deprivation in Northern Ireland reveal rising debt, families in crisis, homes being repossessed and a hidden epidemic of anxiety and depression. Their collective findings suggest a heavy social, health and economic cost for Northern Ireland in years to come.

The reports are published by  PSE (Poverty and Social Exclusion), a research collaboration between several UK universities mapping poverty and social exclusion in the UK.  PSE is funded by the ESRC.

The quote at the start of this blog is from the second of the  Hard Times reports, which looks particularly at the psychological and social costs of increasing poverty in Northern Ireland.  It finds

• Events like Christmas which were once celebratory are now a burden for many.
• Few people are able to save for a rainy day.
• Money worries, anxiety and fears over changes to Social Securityprovision are profoundly impacting on people’s physical and mental health.
• These stresses are also placing great pressure on family life and on relationships.
• People desperately need more emoional and pracical support at a local level.

The Third Peter Townsend Memorial Conference, organised by PSE, will be held on 19-20 June at Conway Hall.  It is free to attend.  Sign up here.

Tags: Anxiety, Debt, Depression, ESRC funded, Northern Ireland, Poverty, PSE - Poverty and Social Exclusion