ArticleBMJ global health2025
Economic shocks and mental health in Bangladesh.
Article in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionEconomic shocks, that is, events that cause a sudden loss of income for households, are common in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet their impact on mental health remains understudied. While such shocks may contribute to depression and anxiety, evidence remains limited, particularly in resource-poor settings where mental health disorders are underdiagnosed and undertreated. This study examines the causal impact of economic shocks on depression and anxiety in a low-income context.
methodsWe used nationally representative panel data over two waves from Bangladesh, applying individual fixed effects to estimate the impact of economic shocks on mental health outcomes. Economic shocks were defined as adverse events negatively affecting income, assets or production. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scales.
resultsIn a two-round sample of 7090 observations, 16.3% (N=1155) experienced depression, 6.5% (N=459) experienced anxiety and 5.1% (N=361) experienced both depression and anxiety. Economic shocks significantly increased depression and anxiety. Individuals experiencing multiple types of shocks had nearly double the risk of reporting either mental health disorder compared with those facing a single shock. These impacts persisted for 6-12 months postshock. Adverse mental health effects were concentrated among individuals without coping mechanisms, such as use of savings, credit or support from friends and family, while those with access to such mechanisms showed no significant adverse outcomes. Education appeared protective, with individuals who had at least primary education exhibiting lower vulnerability to mental health issues in the face of shocks.
conclusionsEconomic shocks have a substantial and lasting mental health impact, with compounding effects for those experiencing multiple shocks. Education and coping mechanisms may serve as a buffer against adverse outcomes. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to mitigate the mental health consequences of economic disruptions in LMICs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.