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The impact of COVID‐related economic shocks on household mental health in Pakistan
Author(s) -
Baranov Victoria,
Grosjean Pauline,
Khan Fatima Jamal,
Walker Sarah
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.4571
Subject(s) - mental health , depression (economics) , covid-19 , anger , pandemic , distress , job loss , demography , sample (material) , psychology , medicine , demographic economics , unemployment , economics , psychiatry , clinical psychology , economic growth , disease , pathology , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , macroeconomics , chemistry , chromatography
We combine data collected just prior to the unfolding of COVID‐19 with follow‐up data from July 2020 to document the adverse economic effects of the pandemic and resulting impact on parental and child mental well‐being in peri‐urban Pakistan. 22% of the households in our sample are affected by job loss, with monthly income down 38% on average. Our difference‐in‐difference results show that job loss is associated with a 0.88 standard deviation (SD) increase in adult mental distress scores (K10), a 0.43 SD reduction in a Hope index of children's aspirations, agency and future pathways, and a 0.39 SD increase in children's depression symptoms. In addition, we observe higher levels of parental stress and anger reported by children, as well as an increase in reported prevalence of domestic violence. Overall, we document that the pandemic has disproportionately and negatively affected the economic and mental well‐being of the most vulnerable households in our sample.