The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali
Stress and cognitive burden associated with poverty constrain decision- making regarding investments in the future, which can in turn perpetuate poverty. We exploit the randomized roll-out of Mali's national cash transfer program to estimate its impact on measures of psychological and emotional well...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139968 |
| _version_ | 1855518359320264704 |
|---|---|
| author | Hidrobo, Melissa Karachiwalla, Naureen Roy, Shalini |
| author_browse | Hidrobo, Melissa Karachiwalla, Naureen Roy, Shalini |
| author_facet | Hidrobo, Melissa Karachiwalla, Naureen Roy, Shalini |
| author_sort | Hidrobo, Melissa |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Stress and cognitive burden associated with poverty constrain decision- making regarding investments in the future, which can in turn perpetuate poverty. We exploit the randomized roll-out of Mali's national cash transfer program to estimate its impact on measures of psychological and emotional well-being, time preferences, and cognitive function among households’ primary decision-makers. We find that receiving transfers reduced decision-makers’ self-reported stress and worry, as well as improved their self-esteem. The program did not affect measures of cognitive function but led to a modest increase in a measure of patience. Consistent with reduced stress, improved self-esteem, and increased patience, the program also increased investments in productive assets. Results suggest that, in addition to cash transfers providing the economic resources to support investments in the future, they may also build psycho-social well-being for supporting these investments. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace139968 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1399682025-10-26T13:02:00Z The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali Hidrobo, Melissa Karachiwalla, Naureen Roy, Shalini stress mental health social protection cash transfers decision making poverty Stress and cognitive burden associated with poverty constrain decision- making regarding investments in the future, which can in turn perpetuate poverty. We exploit the randomized roll-out of Mali's national cash transfer program to estimate its impact on measures of psychological and emotional well-being, time preferences, and cognitive function among households’ primary decision-makers. We find that receiving transfers reduced decision-makers’ self-reported stress and worry, as well as improved their self-esteem. The program did not affect measures of cognitive function but led to a modest increase in a measure of patience. Consistent with reduced stress, improved self-esteem, and increased patience, the program also increased investments in productive assets. Results suggest that, in addition to cash transfers providing the economic resources to support investments in the future, they may also build psycho-social well-being for supporting these investments. 2023-12 2024-03-14T12:08:47Z 2024-03-14T12:08:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139968 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134223 Open Access Elsevier Hidrobo, Melissa; Karachiwalla, Naureen; and Roy, Shalini. 2023. The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 216(December 2023): 608-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2023.10.016 |
| spellingShingle | stress mental health social protection cash transfers decision making poverty Hidrobo, Melissa Karachiwalla, Naureen Roy, Shalini The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali |
| title | The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali |
| title_full | The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali |
| title_fullStr | The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali |
| title_short | The impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments: Experimental evidence from Mali |
| title_sort | impacts of cash transfers on mental health and investments experimental evidence from mali |
| topic | stress mental health social protection cash transfers decision making poverty |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139968 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hidrobomelissa theimpactsofcashtransfersonmentalhealthandinvestmentsexperimentalevidencefrommali AT karachiwallanaureen theimpactsofcashtransfersonmentalhealthandinvestmentsexperimentalevidencefrommali AT royshalini theimpactsofcashtransfersonmentalhealthandinvestmentsexperimentalevidencefrommali AT hidrobomelissa impactsofcashtransfersonmentalhealthandinvestmentsexperimentalevidencefrommali AT karachiwallanaureen impactsofcashtransfersonmentalhealthandinvestmentsexperimentalevidencefrommali AT royshalini impactsofcashtransfersonmentalhealthandinvestmentsexperimentalevidencefrommali |