AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Maternal Mental Health Responses to COVID-19 Shocks and Uncertainty in Rural Pakistan
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 114,
May 2024
(pp. 407–11)
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the association between a battery of mental health measures and experienced morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19, worry about disease risk, experienced economic shocks, and economic uncertainty about the future. We find that an environment of heightened economic uncertainty might impact mental health above and beyond the effects of realized shocks. A 1 standard deviation increase in economic uncertainty is associated with a 0.223 standard deviation decrease in mental health. This association is strongest among women who were depressed at baseline. We also find that current uncertainty is associated with future economic shocks.Citation
Escobar Carias, Michelle, Victoria Baranov, Joanna Maselko, Pietro Biroli, and Sonia Bhalotra. 2024. "Maternal Mental Health Responses to COVID-19 Shocks and Uncertainty in Rural Pakistan." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 114: 407–11. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241059Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I12 Health Behavior
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
- O18 Economic Development: Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure