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Toffolutti V, Plach S, Maksimovic T, Piccitto G, Mascherini M, Mencarini L, Aassve A. The association between COVID-19 policy responses and mental well-being: Evidence from 28 European countries. Soc Sci Med 2022; 301:114906. [PMID: 35313221 PMCID: PMC8920116 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This study assesses how the implementation and lifting of non-pharmaceutical policy interventions (NPIs), deployed by most governments, to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, were associated with individuals' mental well-being (MWB) across 28 European countries. This is done both for the general population and across key-groups. We analyze longitudinal data for 15,147 respondents from three waves of the Eurofound-"Living, Working and COVID-19" survey, covering the period April 2020-March 2021. MWB is measured by the WHO-5 index. Our evidence suggests that restriction on international travel, private gatherings, and contact tracing (workplace closures) were negatively (positively) associated with MWB by about, respectively, -0.63 [95% CI: -0.79 to -0.47], -0.24 [95% CI: -0.38 to -0.10], and -0.22 [95% CI: -0.36 to -0.08] (0.29 [95% CI: 0.11 to 0.48]) points. These results correspond to -3.9%, -1.5%, and -1.4% (+1.8%) changes compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, these findings mask important group-differences. Women compared to men fared worse under stay-at-home requirements, internal movement restrictions, private gatherings restrictions, public events cancellation, school closures, and workplace closures. Those residing with children below 12, compared to those who do not, fared worse under public events cancellation, school closures and workplace closures. Conversely, those living with children 12-17, compared to those who do not, fared better under internal movement restrictions and public events cancelling. Western-Europeans vis-à-vis Eastern-Europeans fared better under NPIs limiting their mobility and easing their debts, whereas they fared worse under health-related NPIs. This study provides timely evidence of the rise in inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers strategies for mitigating them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Toffolutti
- Centre for Health Economics & Policy Innovation, Department of Economics & Public Policy, Imperial College London - Business School, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policies, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy.
| | - Samuel Plach
- "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policies, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy.
| | - Teodora Maksimovic
- "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policies, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Piccitto
- "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policies, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy.
| | - Massimiliano Mascherini
- European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin, D18 KP65, Ireland.
| | - Letizia Mencarini
- "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policies, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy; Department of Social and Political Science, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy.
| | - Arnstein Aassve
- "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policies, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy; Department of Social and Political Science, Bocconi University, Via G. Roentgen, 1, 20136, Milano, Italy.
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