title: Financial coping strategies of mental health consumers: managing social benefits.
abstract: Mental health consumers depend on social benefits in the forms of supplemental security income and social security disability insurance for their livelihood. Although these programs pay meager benefits, little research has been undertaken into how this population makes ends meet. Using a qualitative approach, this study asks what are the financial coping strategies of mental health consumers? Seven approaches were identified: subsidies, cost-effective shopping, budgeting, prioritizing, technology, debt management, and saving money. Results illustrate the resourcefulness of mental health consumers in managing meager social benefits and highlight the need to strengthen community mental health efforts with financial capabilities education.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Georgia, Athens, 310 East Campus Way, Tucker Hall, Room 205, Athens, GA, 30602-7015, USA, caplan@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Mary Ager
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caplan
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D005376:Financial Management / Q000379:methods; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012943:Social Security / Q000191:economics; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000191:economics*