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The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on inequality of opportunity in psychological distress in the UK

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  • Davillas, Apostolos
  • M. Jones, Andrew

Abstract

We use data from Wave 9 of UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) and the April 2020 Wave of the UKHLS COVID-19 survey to compare measures of ex ante inequality of opportunity (IOp) in psychological distress, as measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), before (Wave 9) and at the initial peak (April 2020) of the pandemic. Based on a Caseness measure, the prevalence of psychological distress increases from 18.3% to 28.3% between Wave 9 and April 2020. Also, there is a systematic increase in total inequality in the Likert GHQ-12 score. However, measures of IOp have not increased. Specifically, the proportion of total inequality attributed to circumstances has declined, consistent with the notion that the pandemic is, to some extent, a leveller as far as psychological distress is considered. A Shapley-Shorrocks decomposition analysis shows that in the pre-COVID-19 period the largest contributors to IOp were financial strain, employment status and housing conditions. In contrast, in April 2020, these factors decline in their shares and age and gender now account for a larger share. The contribution of working in an industry related to the COVID-19 response plays a small role at Wave 9, but more than triples its share in April 2020. Household composition and parental occupation also increase their shares during the pandemic.

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  • Davillas, Apostolos & M. Jones, Andrew, 2020. "The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on inequality of opportunity in psychological distress in the UK," ISER Working Paper Series 2020-07, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:ese:iserwp:2020-07
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    4. Zhiming Cheng & Silvia Mendolia & Alfredo R. Paloyo & David A. Savage & Massimiliano Tani, 2021. "Working parents, financial insecurity, and childcare: mental health in the time of COVID-19 in the UK," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 123-144, March.
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    8. David W. Johnston & Claryn S. J. Kung & Michael A. Shields, 2021. "Who is resilient in a time of crisis? The importance of financial and non‐financial resources," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(12), pages 3051-3073, December.
    9. Staneva, Anita & Carmignani, Fabrizio & Rohde, Nicholas, 2022. "Personality, gender, and age resilience to the mental health effects of COVID-19," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    10. Burlinson, Andrew & Giulietti, Monica & Law, Cherry & Liu, Hui-Hsuan, 2021. "Fuel poverty and financial distress," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    11. Chan, Ho Fai & Cheng, Zhiming & Mendolia, Silvia & Paloyo, Alfredo R. & Tani, Massimiliano & Proulx, Damon & Savage, David & Torgler, Benno, 2022. "Societal Movement Restrictions and Adverse Mental Health Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 15111, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    13. Yi Cheng & Muhammad Nadeem & Shamsheer ul Haq & Kyalisiima Prisca & Babar Aziz & Muhammad Imran & Pomi Shahbaz, 2022. "Maintaining Quality of Life during the Pandemic: Managing Economic, Social, and Health Well-Being Amid the COVID-19 Crisis of Agricultural Entrepreneurs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-15, November.
    14. Matthew Abiodun Dada, 2020. "COVID-19 Outbreak and Behavioral Maladjustments: A Shift from a Highly Globalized World to a Strange World of Unique Isolationism," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 12(4), pages 43-58.
    15. Evgenia Anastasiou & Marie-Noelle Duquenne, 2021. "First-Wave COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece: The Role of Demographic, Social, and Geographical Factors in Life Satisfaction during Lockdown," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-12, May.
    16. Aurélie Wagener & Céline Stassart & Anne-Marie Etienne, 2022. "At the Peak of the Second Wave of COVID-19, Did Millennials Show Different Emotional Responses from Older Adults?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-14, May.
    17. Muzhi Zhou & Man-Yee Kan, 2021. "The varying impacts of COVID-19 and its related measures in the UK: A year in review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-21, September.
    18. Gao, Xiaoying & Davillas, Apostolos & Jones, Andrew M., 2021. "The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Socioeconomic Inequality in Psychological Distress in the UK: An Update," IZA Discussion Papers 14790, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Tani, Massimiliano & Cheng, Zhiming & Mendolia, Silvia & Paloyo, Alfredo R. & Savage, David, 2020. "Working Parents, Financial Insecurity, and Child-Care: Mental Health in the Time of COVID-19," IZA Discussion Papers 13588, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Edward J. D. Webb & Paul Kind & David Meads & Adam Martin, 2021. "Does a health crisis change how we value health?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(10), pages 2547-2560, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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