What is "better mental health" in this context? It's pretty well established that rates of mental health issues are greater among those below the poverty line -

What is "better mental health" in this context? It's pretty well established that rates of mental health issues are greater among those below the poverty line - see, for example, these data from 2015: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2720/Spotlight-2720.html https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2720/... If you're talking about general "level of happiness", there is evidence for the "money doesn't buy happiness" meme, but that is more the product of the hedonic treadmill than anything else. Our brains are good at convincing us that our current situation is okay, but that doesn't mean that poverty doesn't have very real effects on the basic services needed to function in our society.