Back to Search
Start Over
Income loss and subsequent poor psychological well-being among the Chinese population during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
- Source :
- International Journal for Equity in Health; 10/17/2023, Vol. 22 Issue 1, p1-12, 12p
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had major ramifications for health and the economy at both the individual and collective levels. This study examined exogenous negative changes in household income and their implications on psychological well-being (PWB) among the Chinese population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data were drawn from the early China COVID-19 Survey, a cross-sectional anonymous online survey administered to the general population in China. Self-reported PWB was measured using a 5-point Likert scale with five questions related to the participants' recent psychological state. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was employed to examine whether income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with poor psychological health. Results: This study included 8,428 adults, of which 90% had suffered from a moderate or severe loss of household income due to the early COVID-19 pandemic. Those who had experienced moderate or severe loss of income scored significantly lower on psychological well-being than those who did not experience income loss (19.96 or 18.07 vs. 21.46; P < 0.001); after controlling for confounders, income loss was negatively associated with PWB scores (moderate income loss: B = − 0.603, P < 0.001; severe income loss: B = − 1.261, P < 0.001). An interaction effect existed between the degree of income loss and pre-pandemic income groups. Specifically, participants in the middle-income group who had suffered severe income loss scored the lowest on PWB (B = − 1.529, P < 0.001). There was also a main effect on income loss, such that participants with varying degrees of income loss differed across five dimensions, including anhedonia, sleep problems, irritability or anger, difficulty with concentration, and repeated disturbing dreams related to COVID-19. Conclusions: Income loss during the pandemic has had detrimental consequences on psychological well-being, and the magnitude of the impact of income loss on psychological well-being varied according to previous income levels. Future policy efforts should be directed toward improving the psychological well-being of the economically vulnerable and helping them recover from lost income in the shortest time possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- WELL-being
ANHEDONIA
NET losses
TIME
CROSS-sectional method
SELF-evaluation
MULTIPLE regression analysis
MENTAL health
INCOME
SURVEYS
SLEEP disorders
SOCIOECONOMIC factors
SCALE analysis (Psychology)
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
ATTENTION
RESEARCH funding
FAMILY relations
ANGER
COVID-19 pandemic
PSYCHOLOGICAL stress
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14759276
- Volume :
- 22
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- International Journal for Equity in Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 173035971
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02022-1