Editing Learned helplessness (section)

===Social impact===
Learned helplessness can be a factor in a wide range of social situations.
*In [[Psychological abuse|emotionally abusive relationships]], the victim often develops learned helplessness. This occurs when the victim confronts or tries to leave the abuser only to have the abuser dismiss or trivialize the victim's feelings, pretend to care but not change, or impede the victim from leaving. As the situation continues and the abuse gets worse, the victim will begin to give up and show signs of this learned helplessness.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Abuse Can Create Learned Helplessness |date=17 May 2013 |url=https://www.growbeyondwords.com/why-abuse-can-create-learned-helplessness/}}</ref> This can result in a [[traumatic bonding]] with one's victimizer, as in [[Stockholm syndrome]] or [[Battered woman syndrome]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Traumatic Bonding |url=https://did-research.org/origin/d-attachment/traumatic_bonding |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=Dissociative Identity Disorder Research}}</ref>
*[[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wade |first=Danielle |date=May 23, 2023 |title=What is learned helplessness? |work=MedicalNewsToday |url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325355 |access-date=December 16, 2023}}</ref>
*According to [[Gregory Bateson]]'s theory of schizophrenia, the disorder is a pattern of learned helplessness in people habitually caught in [[double bind]]s in childhood. In such cases, the double bind is presented continually and habitually within the family context from infancy on. By the time the child is old enough to have identified the double bind situation, it has already been internalized, and the child is unable to confront it. The solution then is to create an escape from the conflicting logical demands of the double bind, in the world of the [[delusion]]al system.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bateson |first1=Gregory |last2=Jackson |first2=Don D. |last3=Haley |first3=Jay |last4=Weakland |first4=John |date=1965 |title=Toward a Theory of Schizophrenia |url=https://solutions-centre.org/pdf/TOWARD-A-THEORY-OF-SCHIZOPHRENIA-2.pdf |journal=Behavioral Science |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=251–254|doi=10.1002/bs.3830010402 }}</ref>
*The motivational effect of learned helplessness is often seen in the classroom. Students who repeatedly fail may conclude that they are incapable of improving their performance, and this attribution keeps them from trying to succeed, which results in increased helplessness, continued failure, loss of self-esteem and other social consequences. This becomes a pattern that will spiral downward if it continues to go untreated.<ref>Stipek, D.E.P. (1988). Motivation to learning. Allyn & Bacon: Boston.</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Ramirez | first1 = E. | last2 = Maldonado | first2 = A. | last3 = Martos | first3 = R. | year = 1992 | title = Attribution modulate immunization against learned helplessness in humans | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 62 | pages = 139–46 | doi=10.1037/0022-3514.62.1.139}}</ref>
*[[Child abuse]] by neglect can be a manifestation of learned helplessness. For example, when parents believe they are incapable of stopping an infant's crying, they may simply give up trying to do anything for the child. This learned helplessness will negatively impact both the parent and child.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Donovan WL, Leavitt LA, Walsh RO | title = Maternal self-efficacy: illusory control and its effect on susceptibility to learned helplessness | journal = Child Development | volume = 61 | issue = 5 | pages = 1638–1647 | date = October 1990 | pmid = 2245753 | doi = 10.2307/1130771 | jstor = 1130771 }}</ref>
*Those who are extremely shy or anxious in social situations may become passive due to feelings of helplessness.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Goetz |first1=Therese E. |last2=Dweck |first2=Carol S. |title=Learned helplessness in social situations. |journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |date=1980 |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=246–255 |doi=10.1037/0022-3514.39.2.246 |pmid=7411393 }}</ref> Gotlib and Beatty (1985) found that people who cite helplessness in social settings may be viewed poorly by others, which tends to reinforce passivity.
*Aging individuals may respond with helplessness to the deaths of friends and family members, the loss of jobs and income, and the development of age-related health problems. This may cause them to neglect their medical care, financial affairs, and other important needs.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Rodin J | title = Aging and health: effects of the sense of control | journal = Science | volume = 233 | issue = 4770 | pages = 1271–1276 | date = September 1986 | pmid = 3749877 | doi = 10.1126/science.3749877 | bibcode = 1986Sci...233.1271R }}</ref>
*According to Cox ''et al.'', [[Lyn Yvonne Abramson|Abramson]], [[Patricia Devine|Devine]], and Hollon (2012), learned helplessness is a key factor in depression that is caused by inescapable prejudice (i.e., "deprejudice").<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cox |first1=William T. L. |last2=Abramson |first2=Lyn Y. |last3=Devine |first3=Patricia G. |last4=Hollon |first4=Steven D. |title=Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Depression: The Integrated Perspective |journal=Perspectives on Psychological Science |date=September 2012 |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=427–449 |doi=10.1177/1745691612455204 |pmid=26168502 }}</ref> Thus: "Helplessness born in the face of inescapable prejudice matches the helplessness born in the face of inescapable shocks."{{sfnp|Cox |Abramson |Devine |Hollon |2012 |p=433}}
*According to Ruby K. Payne's book ''A Framework for Understanding Poverty'', treatment of [[poverty|the poor]] can lead to a [[cycle of poverty]], a [[Cycle of poverty#Culture of poverty|culture of poverty]], and generational poverty. This type of learned helplessness is passed from parents to children. People who embrace this mentality feel there is no way to escape poverty and so one must live in the moment and not plan for the future, trapping families in poverty.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Payne |first1=Ruby K. |title=A Framework for Understanding Poverty |date=2005 |publisher=Aha! Process |isbn=978-1-929229-48-2 }}{{pn|date=May 2025}}</ref>
*[[Wealth Inequality|Wealth inequality]] has an impact on mental health.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yu |first=Shoukai |date=2018-05-18 |title=Uncovering the hidden impacts of inequality on mental health: a global study |journal=Translational Psychiatry |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |page=98 |doi=10.1038/s41398-018-0148-0 |pmc=5959880 |pmid=29777100 }}</ref>

Social problems resulting from learned helplessness may seem unavoidable to those entrenched. However, there are various ways to reduce or prevent it. When induced in experimental settings, learned helplessness has been shown to resolve itself with the passage of time.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Young LD, Allin JM | title = Persistence of learned helplessness in humans | journal = The Journal of General Psychology | volume = 113 | issue = 1 | pages = 81–88 | date = January 1986 | pmid = 3701307 | doi = 10.1080/00221309.1986.9710544 }}</ref> People can be immunized against the perception that events are uncontrollable by increasing their awareness of previous experiences, when they were able to affect the desired outcome.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Altmaier | first1 = E.M. | last2 = Happ | first2 = D.A. | year = 1985 | title = Coping skills training's immunization effects against learned helplessness | journal = Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology | volume = 3 | issue = 2| pages = 181–9 | doi=10.1521/jscp.1985.3.2.181}}</ref> [[Cognitive therapy]] can be used to show people that their actions do make a difference<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Thornton | first1 = J.W. | last2 = Powell | first2 = G.D. | year = 1974 | title = Immunization to and alleviation of learned helplessness in man | journal = American Journal of Psychology | volume = 87 | issue = 3| pages = 351–67 | doi=10.2307/1421378| jstor = 1421378 }}</ref> and bolster their [[self-esteem]]. Seeking out these types of treatment options can be extremely helpful for people stuck in a rut when it comes to learned helplessness. While it may initially feel hard to escape, with the proper time and help, it can get better.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Orbach | first1 = E. | last2 = Hadas | first2 = Z. | year = 1982 | title = The elimination of learned helplessness deficits as a function of induced self-esteem | journal = Journal of Research in Personality | volume = 16 | issue = 4| pages = 511–23 | doi=10.1016/0092-6566(82)90009-5}}</ref>