High-level economic patterns can affect people’s lives and mental health. Economic conditions include periods where the economy is stable, is experiencing growth, or is in a recession, which refers to the decline in economic growth (1).
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Periods where the economy is stable or experiencing growth have been associated with reduced poverty and more employment opportunities (2), which are protective factors for mental health.
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A recession can result in decreased welfare support (3), higher unemployment, and decreased income (4). Economic recessions have been associated with poorer mental health (3).
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References
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1. Vaitilingam R. Recession Britain, Findings from economic and social research [Internet]. Swindon; 2009. Available from: https://esrc.ukri.org/files/news-events-and-publications/publications/themed-publications/recession-britain/
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2. Department for International Development. Growth: Building Jobs and Prosperity in Developing Countries.
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3. Wang Y, Fattore G. The impact of the great economic crisis on mental health care in Italy. Eur J Heal Econ [Internet]. 2020 Nov 1 [cited 2021 Feb 12];21(8):1259–72. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-020-01204-w
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4. Irons J. Economic scarring: The long-term impacts of the recession | Economic Policy Institute [Internet]. Washington DC; 2009 Sep [cited 2021 Jan 15]. Available from: https://www.epi.org/publication/bp243/
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