Amidst the rapid global spread of Covid-19, many governments enforced country-wide lockdowns, with likely severe well-being consequences. In this regard, South Africa is an extreme case suffering from low levels well-being, but at same time enforcing very strict lockdown regulations. study, we analyse causal effect a and consequently, determinants happiness during aforementioned. A difference-in-difference approach used to make inferences on happiness, OLS estimation investigates after...

COVID-19 severely impacted world health and, as a consequence of the measures implemented to stop spread virus, also irreversibly damaged economy. Research shows that receiving vaccine is most successful measure combat virus and could address its indirect consequences. However, hesitancy growing worldwide WHO names this one top ten threats global health. This study investigates trend in positive attitudes towards vaccines across countries since attitude important. Furthermore, we investigate...

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic led many governments to implement lockdown regulations curb the spread of virus. Though lockdowns do minimise physical damage caused by virus, there may also be substantial population well‐being. Using a pooled data set, we analyse relationship between mandatory and happiness in three diverse countries: South Africa, New Zealand Australia. These countries differ amongst others terms duration. primary aim is determine, whether negatively associated with...

We use daily happiness scores (Gross National Happiness (GNH)) to illustrate how changed throughout 2020 in ten countries across Europe and the Southern hemisphere. More frequently regularly available than survey data, GNH reveals sharply declined at onset of pandemic lockdown, quickly recovered, then trended downward much year Europe. is derived by applying sentiment emotion analysis–based on Natural Language Processing using machine learning algorithms–to Twitter posts (tweets). Using a...

We use Twitter, Google mobility, and Oxford policy data to study the relationship between trust compliance over period March 2020 January 2021 in ten, mostly European, countries. Trust has been shown be an important correlate of with COVID-19 containment policies. However, previous findings depend upon two assumptions: first, that is time invariant, second, can measured using self reports or mobility measures alone. relax these assumptions by calculating a new time-varying measure as...

Happiness levels often fluctuate from one day to the next, and an exogenous shock such as a pandemic can likely disrupt pre-existing happiness dynamics. This paper fits Marko Switching Dynamic Regression Model (MSDR) better understand dynamic patterns of before during pandemic. The estimated parameters MSDR model include each state's mean duration, volatility transition probabilities. Once these have been estimated, we use one-step method predict unobserved states' evolution over time. gives...

A small but growing literature has been concerned about the economic (and environmental) vulnerability on level of countries. Less attention is paid to different regions within By focusing subnational regions, this paper contributes "vulnerability place". They authors see place as being due in various domains, such vulnerability, environment, and governance, demographic health fragilities. use a data set 354 magisterial districts from South Africa, recognize potential relevance measuring...

Since 2020, the world has faced two unprecedented shocks: lockdowns (regulation) and invasion of Ukraine (war). Although we realise health economic effects these shocks, more research is needed on effect happiness whether type shock plays a role. Therefore, in this paper, determine macro-level shocks affected happiness, how differ, long it takes for to adapt previous levels. The latter will allow us test adaptation theory holds at macro level. We use unique dataset ten countries spanning...

Background: Since the early 1980s, many governments have investigated possibility of utilising access to microloans as a pathway grow economies out unemployment and thereby improve people’s quality life. Studies that previously impact found positive effect on Unfortunately, these mainly measure life using monetary (income) measures rather than assessing entire multidimensionality Aim: This article investigates relationship between objective multidimensional income-independent (IIQoL) having...

Previous evidence indicates trust is an important correlate of compliance with COVID-19 containment policies. However, this conclusion hinges on two crucial assumptions: first, that does not change over time, and second, mobility or self-reported measures are good proxies for compliance. This study the first to use a time-varying measure relationship between in others institutions period from March 2020 January 2021 ten mostly European countries. We calculate as association policies people's...

Background: Amid the rapid global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many governments enforced country-wide lockdowns, likely with severe well-being consequences. The actions by triggered a debate on whether costs lockdown, economically and in well-being, surpass benefits perceived from lower infection rate. Aim: To use Gross National Happiness index (GNH), derived Big Data, to investigate determinants happiness before during first few months lockdown country as an extreme case,...