Key Takeaways
Social exclusion is the marginalization of individuals from fully engaging in a community where they are left out and excluded due to various social and economic factors.
Minority groups, economically marginalized communities, people with disabilities, and seniors are more likely to be socially excluded.
Social exclusion can lead to different mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, apart from affecting a person physically.
Humans form connections in society, which helps them to overcome challenging situations, lean on others, and make their lives feel complete. But when you are socially excluded, it can impact your mental and physical health. Following, we’ll overview social exclusion, its relation to mental health, the groups it commonly affects, and how to heal from it.
What is Social Exclusion?
Social exclusion refers to situations or moments where an individual feels rejected or overlooked in a society. Some common examples of social exclusion could be facing discrimination in performing somewhere, being denied entry, or being unable to secure financial resources.
Dr. Shewli Kumar, M.Phil., Ph.D., a social work educator and associate professor at the School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai campus, says:
“It’s not that one single dimension of a person’s life that creates social exclusion. It is not just about the individual’s identity or which social group that particular person may belong to. A cumulative disadvantage a particular person belongs to or lives in creates social exclusion.”
How does Social Exclusion Affect Mental Health?
Social exclusion doesn’t just affect your mental health, it can leave a deep emotional scar. It can make you feel like you’re on the outside, looking in, and that can be incredibly painful.
When you get thoughts and feelings of being left out from various situations in your life, then it can take a toll and affect your mental health by breaking your confidence. It can result in lowering your self-esteem as well since it is important for mental health to feel valued and accepted in society.
Here are some conditions that social exclusion can give rise to:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep Deprivation
- Cognitive Issues
- Loneliness
Many believe that physical and mental health are correlated with each other. While social exclusion usually takes a toll on mental health, you can also develop physical health conditions.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a consultant cardiologist and heart specialist, thinks we need to look after a patient’s mental and physical health to make the patient healthier. He quotes:
“You cannot be physically healthy if you’re mentally and spiritually unhealthy.”
Apart from mental health conditions, social exclusion can also cause physical health problems like obesity, a weakened immune system, hypertension, and heart conditions.
Groups Who May Experience Social Exclusion
While social exclusion can affect anyone at any stage of life, the following groups may be more susceptible to social exclusion:
Minority Groups
For instance, if you’re a member of a minority community, you might find it harder to secure a job or face discrimination in various aspects of your life. These experiences can lead to a sense of social exclusion.
For example, there are a lot of cultural differences that can affect a child’s admission to an institution or an ethnic minority, where you can experience discrimination in getting a job.
Individuals with Disabilities
People with disabilities can experience both direct and indirect social exclusion, as others in the community may think they are not fit for a situation without even knowing their abilities.
Old-age Exclusion
According to a study, seniors can go through old-age exclusion. This can be due to social relations, mobility, retirement, or diseases.
Lower Socioeconomic Background
People from lower-income communities not only face discrimination but social exclusion, too, as they are often seen “below” others because of their lack of financial resources.
For example, they might receive different treatments for a disease or access to education.
Methods of Social Exclusion
There are some common ways of experiencing social exclusion, like being harassed, gossiped about, or bullied by others so that one might feel better about oneself or getting shunned or invited by others around you.
Some of these instances can be accidental, but if you’re continuously facing social exclusion, you need to address this problem as soon as possible so that it doesn’t affect your health.
Ways to Heal from Social Exclusion
Social exclusion can give rise to different mental health challenges; it can leave adolescents and older adults in a sad and depressed mood. But there are some ways to heal from the effects of social exclusion.
Seek Therapy
Social exclusion can contribute to a variety of mental health challenges. If you find yourself having difficulty coping with social exclusion or loneliness, going to a mental health professional would be wise, and they would help you feel like yourself again.
Telehealth has become a convenient option for many. You can get help and advice from your doctor from the comfort of your home through this medium.
Join a Support Group
Spending time in a community can reduce loneliness. Community support may help you form connections, especially if you don’t have family or friends nearby.
Mindfulness Activities
Mindfulness or self-care tasks like yoga, meditation, or journaling can help you let your thoughts and feelings become emotionally aware of your surroundings. This is important because it might make your feelings worse if you do not find an outlet to let your thoughts out.
Policies and Plans
The government needs to introduce different guidelines and policies to reduce social exclusion for people who require mental health care due to being excluded by the community.
Conclusion
Social exclusion can indeed pose significant challenges to the mental, emotional, and physical health of older adults, even raising the risk of early mortality. However, it’s important to recognize the resilience and strength of older adults in overcoming these challenges.
By utilizing strategies such as therapy and community engagement, older adults can significantly improve their mental health and overall well-being, offering a beacon of hope in the face of social exclusion.
