Vaccination and mental health: Evidence from ASEAN countries

Objectives

This study examines whether vaccination is associated with improved mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), addressing a critical gap in the literature.

Methods

This study utilizes data from the 2021 Gallup World Poll (GWP), including approximately 8,000 individuals across eight ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. Mental health was assessed using the Negative Experience Index, which captures stress, anger, sadness, anxiety, and pain.

Results

We find that vaccination is significantly associated with improved mental health for the entire ASEAN region (β = -3.828, 95 % CI: [-6.085, -1.572]). After taking endogeneity into account, this association remains significant. We find that increased opportunities to make friends in the living area is a pathway through which vaccination can improve mental health. Notably, the association between vaccination and mental health is significant among both urban (β = -3.583, 95 % CI: [-5.674, -1.492]) and rural (β = -3.275, 95 % CI: [-6.142, -0.409]) populations, as well as among females (β = -5.918, 95 % CI: [-7.380, -4.457]), but it is not significant among males (β = -1.242, 95 % CI: [-4.107, 1.624]). Furthermore, at the country's level, the association between vaccination and mental health is significant in Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand but not significant in Malaysia, Indonesia. and Vietnam. These findings are robust across various robustness checks.

Conclusion

These findings underscore the role of vaccination in improving mental health amidst health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic in the ASEAN region. Implications for policymakers derived from our findings are discussed.