Psychosocial Problem

The term psychosocial refers to the psychological and the social. A psychosocial problem refers to psychological and social factors that influence mental health and ultimately have adverse effects on the individual and/or their performance of social tasks. Social factors that influence mental health include things like peer pressure, parent support, cultural and religious background, socioeconomic status, and interpersonal relationships. These all contribute and help shape personality and eventually influence the psychological makeup of an individual.
The effects of poverty on the academic performance of university students in south Africa entails many factors that interact with one another that eventually cause an adverse effect on the academic

‘’Being poor can have an effect on the development of people, their mental and emotional health, personalities, cognitions, and motivation, trapping individuals and families in a vulnerable situation’’ (Visser & Moleko, 2012). Childhood experiences of poverty are related to later social exclusion and low social mobility because of differences seen in norms and values when compared to those of children or individuals not suffering from poverty. In studying the psychological effects of poverty, resiliency was considered as it provided insight into how some students are able to overcome the deleterious effects of poverty. Academic success is for this reason seen as an indicator of resiliency. ‘’Resilience is the ability to maintain competence despite stressful and difficult life circumstances’’ (Das-Brailsford, P. 2010). Individuals who achieve academically are seen to have resisted the pressures of poverty and may ultimately graduate despite their challenges. The problem here however is that human behaviour is complex and ‘’the psychological challenges facing socio-economically disadvantaged groups in South Africa are integrally linked to a variety of political and historical factors’’ (Das-Brailsford, P. 2010). In short, the causes and effects of poverty on academic achievement cannot be simplistically assumed.
Sadly, the longer an individual lives in poverty, the worse the effects are on the individual. Children who persistently live in poverty continue to score lower academically. Poor academic achievement, combined with living in high-risk neighbourhoods then become predictors of asocial behaviours such as crime. The probability of these behaviours may be especially increased if an individual is forced to drop-out of university because of financial strain, in order to satisfy their living