Key Finding

Health and Well-Being

Recipients were less anxious and depressed, both over time and compared to the control group.

Changes in depression and anxiety were measured via the Kessler 10, which asks about feelings of anxiety, like being fidgety or unable to rest, and feelings of depression, like hopelessness.

Decreases in anxiety, depression, and extreme financial strain increase capacity for goal-setting and coping with unexpected income shocks.

I had panic attacks and anxiety. I was at the point where I had to take a pill for it. And I haven’t even touched them in a while. I used to carry them on me all the time.

Recipients saw statistically significant improvements in emotional health, energy over fatigue, and emotional wellbeing.*

To measure emotional health, the SF-36 indicates how much emotional issues get in the way of everyday life, e.g. as a result of feeling anxious or depressed, did you accomplish less that you would have liked?
To measure energy over fatigue, the SF-36 asks the following question set: did you feel full of pep?; did you feel tired?; did you feel worn out?; did you have a lot of energy? Likert scale responses to these questions indicate a trend toward more energy over fatigue for the treatment group, but not the control group.
Emotional wellbeing is measured through questions like: have you been a very nervous person? And, have you felt calm and peaceful? Answer to these questions indicate the degree of internal emotional wellbeing.

Women who spent years prioritizing the needs of others over their own wellbeing were able to focus on their health and subsidize gaps in family health care.

* Emotional wellbeing was measured via the SF-36, a widely used instrument that includes eight subscales: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy and fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health.