Project Overview
The project will survey 1,600 participants five times over the course of 12 months. Eligible participants will be selected from counties that vary in terms of two factors: 1) the degree of COVID-19 related economic impact and 2) the degree of social capital (defined at a county level as shown here). These counties comprise rural, suburban, and urban areas, as well as diverse socioeconomic levels, races and ethnicities, and political beliefs. We will assess various aspects of functioning, including financial strain, employment status, general distress, well-being, loneliness, social behavior, social support, and the perception of close others.
This project is led by Anthony Mancini, PhD, a Professor of Psychology at Pace University. The aims of the project are to: 1) better understand mental health and well-being in the aftermath of the pandemic; 2) evaluate the role of the social environment in facilitating adaptation in the face of economic stress and hardship, with a focus on individual social behavior, social cohesion, neighborhood relations, and community orientation.
Achieving these aims will help diagnose the impact of economic stress more broadly on key psychological functioning outcomes. We hope that our findings can inform policy, clinical intervention, and future research on collective acute stressors. As our findings emerge, publications, news stories, blog posts, and others material will be listed on this website.