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The impact of the coronavirus lockdown on mental health: evidence from the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Abi Adams-Prassl
  • Teodora Boneva
  • Marta Golin
  • Christopher Rauh

Abstract

The coronavirus outbreak has caused significant disruptions to people’s lives. We exploit variation in lockdown measures across states to document the impact of stay-at-home orders on mental health using real-time survey data in the United States. We find that the lockdown measures lowered mental health by 0.083 standard deviations. This large negative effect is entirely driven by women. As a result of the lockdown measures, the existing gender gap in mental health has increased by 61%. The negative effect on women’s mental health cannot be explained by an increase in financial worries or caring responsibilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Abi Adams-Prassl & Teodora Boneva & Marta Golin & Christopher Rauh, 2022. "The impact of the coronavirus lockdown on mental health: evidence from the United States," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 37(109), pages 139-155.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ecpoli:v:37:y:2022:i:109:p:139-155.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/epolic/eiac002
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marcus, Jan, 2013. "The effect of unemployment on the mental health of spouses – Evidence from plant closures in Germany," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 546-558.
    2. Adams-Prassl, Abi & Boneva, Teodora & Golin, Marta & Rauh, Christopher, 2020. "Inequality in the impact of the coronavirus shock: Evidence from real time surveys," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    3. Rada K Dagher & Jie Chen & Stephen B Thomas, 2015. "Gender Differences in Mental Health Outcomes before, during, and after the Great Recession," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-16, May.
    4. Armbruster, Stephanie & Klotzbücher, Valentin, 2020. "Lost in lockdown? COVID-19, social distancing, and mental health in Germany," Discussion Paper Series 2020-04, University of Freiburg, Wilfried Guth Endowed Chair for Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    I10; I14; I18; I30;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General

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