Money, Social Relationships and the Sense of Self: The Consequences of an Improved Financial Situation for Persons Suffering from Serious Mental Illness

Abstract

During a 9-month period, 100 persons with SMI were given approx. 73 USD per month above their normal income. Sixteen of the subjects were interviewed. The interviews were analysed according to the methods of thematic analysis. The money was used for personal pleasure and to re-establish reciprocal relations to others. The ways in which different individuals used the money at their disposal impacted their sense of self through experiences of mastery, agency, reciprocity, recognition and security. The findings underline the importance of including social circumstances in our understanding of mental health problems, their trajectories and the recovery process.

Small Things, Micro-Affirmations and Helpful Professionals Everyday Recovery-Orientated Practices According to Persons with Mental Health Problems

“…The question remains: what were the helping factors behind recovery long before the age of recovery-orientated institutions and the latest bio-medical discoveries? It is also important to study micro-affirmations in everyday life, outside the professional-person relationships (Davidson et al 2006 ; Topor and Ljungqvist 2017 ).…”

The Place of Social Recovery in Mental Health and Related Services

“…The experiment of giving people an additional small sum of money ($73) on top of their usual income and letting them decide what to do with it, described in their recent paper [ 64 ], illustrate how easy it is to for them to switch to the use of money with agency and mastery, to feel good about being able to entertain friends and hence to become less socially excluded.…”

Recovery and economy; salary and allowances: a 10-year follow-up of income for persons diagnosed with first-time psychosis

“…A persons' financial situation plays an important role in his/her possibility to participate in a social life, to have reciprocal relationships, and to be part of the community [20][21][22]. Financial strain might also influence the probability of recovery [23][24][25].…”

“…Their quality of life and sense of self improved. Symptoms such as depression and anxiety decreased [22,23,25,39]. In addition, the users themselves have pointed to financial strain as one of their main problems [40,41].…”