Financial instability affects 80% of Brazilians with mental health disorders

A study conducted by the Associação Brasileira de Profissionais de Educação Financeira (Abefin) in partnership with Instituto Axxus reveals that eight out of ten Brazilians with diagnosed mental health disorders link their psychological conditions to financial difficulties.

Key stressors identified include the inability to pay basic bills (69.4%), the presence of debt (61.2%), insufficient income for daily needs (53.6%), and unemployment (31.1%). Experts note that financial instability keeps individuals in a continuous state of alert, which the body interprets as a threat to survival, leading to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Academic contributors suggest that while structural economic issues and inflation impact the cost of living, personal factors such as a lack of financial control also contribute to indebtedness. The high Selic rate further restricts access to credit, exacerbating the pressure on the population's emotional well-being.