DERİN YOKSULLUK VE PSİKOLOJİK ETKİLERİ: YETİŞKİN GÖRÜŞLERİ ÜZERİNE KARMA YÖNTEM ÇALIŞMASI

Abstract

The study aims to get the opinions about poverty of adults living in deep poverty and to explore their levels of happiness and life satisfaction.The study group consists of a total of 24 individuals living in Istanbul with a monthly income of 1000-4300 TL.The data collection instruments used include a "Personal Information Form", a "Questionnaire", the "Happiness Scale",and the "Life Satisfaction Scale".The responses of the poor individuals to the Questionnaire were qualitatively analyzed via descriptive analysis and their responses to the scales were quantitatively analyzed by percentage and frequency calculations.As a result of the study, the individuals living in deep poverty stated that they think they cannot afford their demands and needs for food and housing and cannot live the life they want; emotionally they envy and covet everythingand felt ashamed, embarrassed, anxious, afraid, worried, angry, furious, unhappy, sad, uneasy, distressed, worthless, overwhelmed, desperate, and insecure; psychologically they feel awful like "they hit the rock bottom", "they are going out of their mind", "they are about to go mad" and "they are always upset and depressed"; that they have grown away from their spouses and children and become distant to their friends and relatives; they believe that poverty is awful; and employment opportunities should be increased, manufacturing should be subsidized, no price increases should be made and a good government should be in power to reduce poverty.The participants were found to have extremely low levels of happiness and life satisfaction.The study results are discussed in the light of the literature.