Socioeconomic distress and decline of emotional health. Narrow focus but worth reading.
Public source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7413622/
“This study provides the first comprehensive look at how Americans’ mental health changed as a function of hardships during The Great Recession. While population-level mental health generally improved over the course of the study, each recession hardship experienced by an individual was associated with higher odds of long-lasting and transdiagnostic declines in mental health. These relationships were stronger for some sociodemographic groups, suggesting the need for additional support for people who suffer marked losses during recessions and for those without a strong safety net. The transdiagnostic findings and the similarity of effects across financial, job-related, and housing impacts also indicate that broadband public health interventions—rather than targeted interventions for specific symptom domains or recession impacts—may be an effective approach to providing mental health support for individuals who experience hardships during recessions. Ultimately, the adverse effects of The Great Recession on individuals’ mental health likely compounded and prolonged its economic costs. These findings thus highlight that government-funded mental health support in future recessions would not only ease individuals’ burdens, but could be a sound financial investment that may act to stimulate faster economic recovery.”
