Decades of research have established beyond doubt that there is a link between stress in everyday life and mental health. The connection is far stronger among those living in poverty who experience more overcrowding, lower job security, frequent exposure to violence and other environmental tensions. 

It may go without saying – but not everyone is affected in the same way. Many who live below the poverty line and experience highly stressful situations suffer no significant mental health damage. 

Hence the volumes written about coping strategies, the conscious schemes – mental, emotional and behavioral – that people employ in response to stress. 

For example, a victim of a mugging may cope by staying indoors or by carrying a weapon. The death of a family member may be framed as an act of God or as a great injustice. 

These interior processes have been conclusively demonstrated to influence mental health outcomes. But there are also spontaneous physical responses to be considered, such as a spike in heart rate, breaking down in tears or punching a wall – known as involuntary stress responses. 

A new study based on data from the Colorado Project of Economic Strain, published this month in the journal Anxiety, Stress and Coping has found that involuntary stress responses can seriously affect the long-term mental health of those living in poverty. 

The study looked at the interaction between stress levels, involuntary responses, aggression and anxiety in the lives of 100 deprived families in Colorado.

No connection was found between involuntary stress responses and levels of aggression, but there was a strong relationship with anxiety. This link was apparent in both adults and children.  

Brian Wolff and his team at the University of Denver assessed involuntary responses to stress using standardized questionnaires, looking specifically at rumination, intrusive thoughts, impulsive action, emotional arousal and physical reactions. 

What might these findings mean for interventions? The authors acknowledge that intervening at the level of the involuntary reaction is too problematic. However, they emphasize that in order to design more effective programs, more needs to be known about the complex interplay between impulse reactions, coping strategies and mental health. 

A breakdown of their results suggests that intervention must come early. The connection between involuntary stress response and anxiety was found in children as young as six. 

Excess stress experienced at a very early age may predispose children permanently to exaggerated stress responses, aggravating the impact of any misfortune later in life. 

See: Wolff B C, Santiago C D and Wadsworth M E (2009), “Poverty and involuntary engagement stress responses: examining the link to anxiety and aggression within low-income families,” Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 22, 3, pp 309-325