Socioeconomic crisis and mental health stress among the middle-income group during the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Following the spread of COVID-19, the prolonged lockdown has adversely affected not only the mental health but also the socioeconomic well-being of people, particularly the underprivileged population, across the world. This study was designed to assess the mental health of middle-income people and its association with the socioeconomic crises that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. A semi-structured interview schedule in Bangla was administered to conveniently collect the data from 150 participants based on certain specifications. Findings suggest that COVID-19 status, household debt, and depression were significantly associated with mental stress among middle-income people. Depression, on the other hand, was substantially affected by socio-demographic and socioeconomic status as well as their hygiene and government support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, an individual’s anxiety was determined by income during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine status, personal hygiene, and socio-demographic factors. To reduce the pandemic-induced stress, depression, and anxiety, the government should provide financial assistance through social safety net and create alternative livelihood opportunities using existing resources. Besides, policymakers should implement community awareness programs about the risk of COVID-19 to minimize both risk of infection and mental health stress.

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Notes on contributors

Sk. Faijan Bin Halim

Sk. Faijan Bin Halim has been serving as a faculty member in the Economics Discipline of Khulna University, Bangladesh. He has completed his graduation with a BSS (distinction) in Economics and MSS (distinction) in Economics from the said Discipline. He had been associated with two reputed think tanks in Bangladesh, namely, Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM). His area of research interests include industry, environment, and public health issues. He authored articles and book chapters and worked on several research projects in multidisciplinary teams.

Sojal Mridha

Sojal Mridha is a final year undergraduate student of Economics Discipline, Khulna University. His research fields of interest include behavioral and psychological issues, women empowerment, migration, poverty, and climate change. He can be reached at [email protected].

Nishad Nasrin

Nishad Nasrin, a faculty member in the Economics Discipline of Khulna University, Bangladesh. She has obtained her Bachelor and Master degree from the aforementioned University. She has completed her Advanced Master of Globalization and Development from the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She has keen research interest in the fields of migration, education, health and gender issues and in her fields, she has several articles. She also have worked in several research projects with multidisciplinary team members.

Md. Karimul Islam

Md. Karimul Islam is currently working as a research assistant at Change Initiative, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is also a postgraduate student in Economics (MSS) at Khulna University, Bangladesh. He obtained his bachelor in Economics (BSS) degree in 2019 with distinction from the Economics Discipline of Khulna University. He has worked with SNV Netherlands Development Organization on several projects in the southwest region of Bangladesh. He has also participated in different international conferences with collaborative research works. He has published a few research pieces in peer-reviewed journals. His research interests are in development economics, public finance, and environmental economics.

Md. Tanvir Hossain

Md. Tanvir Hossain, a faculty member in the Sociology Discipline of Khulna University, Bangladesh, completed his bachelor and master’s degrees from the said Discipline. Trained in the fields of Sociology, he works mainly on education, environment, and public health issues and tries to explain different social phenomena from a sociological standpoint. He authored articles and book chapters and worked on several research projects in multidisciplinary teams, focusing on educational and environmental issues.