The costs of friendship: severe mental illness, poverty and social isolation

Abstract

Background: The relationship between severe mental illness, poverty and social isolation has been explored in a number of studies.Aim: The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between financial strain and social isolation.Methods: Sixteen persons with severe mental illness were interviewed about their experience of having a severe mental illness, living in poverty and the effect these circumstances had on their social relationships. The interviews were analysed according to thematic analysis.Results: The overarching theme was “the cost of having friends”; it consisted of five categories: the loss of friends; making do without friends; dependence on friends and family; supported socialisation; and money as an aid to recovery. The participants experienced a connection between their financial circumstances, their social relationships and their lack of initiative in maintaining and developing a social network.Conclusions: The results underline the importance of considering the person in his/her social context in order to avoid the risk of interpreting rational strategies for coping as psychiatric symptoms.