Reading an article on Forbes about the connection between one’s financial health being a a good indicator of their mental health really got me thinking. According to research that examined 65 studies on debt and mental health, researches concluded having a mental health problem is three times higher among people with debt. Mental health issues contrive of depression, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders among other mental illness experienced with debt. In addition, suicide is linked with debt as people are eight times more likely to commit suicide if in debt. People in debt are more likely to have drinking and drug related problems.

Mental Health Vs Debt

It is unsure whether the stress of debt causes mental illness or mental illness causes stress. It could also be said they might become integrated and fuel each other. The point of the article, however, was to articulate that debt in itself is solvable. Money management and debt consolidation are practices that can help alleviate some of the mental burden. This can also help pinpoint if the mental health problem is the root cause or if the debt itself is the issue.

Gamify That!

If there is anything I would of love to learn from college that I didn’t was money management. Sadly, now most Americans have to learn it the hard way, but what if we created a game that taught financial management? Even better, how about a way to cope with debt? If we can understand what good and bad debt is, how to maintain our debt, and cope with it wouldn’t more Americans recognize the link between debt and psychological distress much more? Games like SuperBetter help players achieve their health goals whether it’s physical or mental. By combining knowledge and stress management, we could see people understand their debt in a entertaining and informative environment that is stress-free and resourceful.