Distress Factors Impacting Lives

Many families, particularly in developing countries, constantly face myriad challenges that confine their lives to incessant struggle for a more meaningful existence. The poor are the most vulnerable to natural calamities, economic turbulence and disruptive events. Such potentially devastating life experiences which impact most people to varying extent can be broadly attributed to three distinct distress factors.

Climate Change

The greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, leading to temperatures rising dramatically and resulting in extreme weather events like severe heat waves, heavy rains, widespread flooding and landslides, and many different changes occurring on Earth; are presenting serious challenges to our environment. Further, insane consumption patterns are depleting the planet of its natural resources, polluting the environment and damaging the bio-diversity essential to healthy existence of human kind.

Poverty and Inequality

Economic trends, lack of education, inadequate access of equal opportunities for all, influence of the privileged in policy decisions and their implementation, unfair profiteering practices and indifference towards the disadvantaged have widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Growing inequality is a major factor contributing to perpetuation of social evils, many instances of mental illnesses and increased crime rates. Polarisation of society between rich and poor make the poor even more vulnerable to adversities.

Socio-Cultural Factors

Forces within cultures and societies that mould beliefs, attitudes and moral values greatly influence thoughts, behaviours and actions of people in myriad ways. These factors have an affinity towards seeking and recognising commonalities and divide people into distinct social groups. Such groupings sometimes tend to assume inflexible standpoints causing mistrust and hatred among the different groups. Such polarisation is exacerbated by increased inequality, growing unemployment and proliferation of deceptive and intolerant rhetorical voices.