No abstract

With increases in unemployment and individuals experiencing mental health symptoms, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have become a prevalent issue in society. The purpose of this paper is to educate communities about the current effects of COVID-19 on the economy as well as mental health. We aim to establish connections between economic hardships and patterns of depression and anxiety across different demographic groups within the U.S. labor force participation pool aged 18 or older. We analyzed existing literature on past recessions, past pandemics, and the current pandemic’s impacts. The findings from past literature suggest that the pandemic has caused various economic impacts which in turn affect mental health, particularlyanxiety and depression rates. We used data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey (HPS) to conduct chi-squared tests of independence on employment income loss and symptoms of anxiety and depression over 12 weeks of the pandemic. For each demographic variable (race, income level, gender, and age), we found an association between each categoryand experienced employment income loss. The tests yielded the same conclusions for the data of the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Cuteness in the young has long been theorized to elicit care and protection. Most research on this topic has focused on human infants, despite theories suggesting that cuteness may elicit broader social interest that could support learning and development beyond infancy. In four experiments (N = 531 adults, 98 children), we tested whether ‘kindchenschema’—facial features associated with cuteness—and perceived cuteness elicit interest in playing with and caring for children, and whether masks disrupt these processes. Participants viewed images of children’s faces, masked or unmasked. Kindchenschema correlated with perceived cuteness and age, and these variables predicted adults’ interest in playing with and caring for children. Masks did not reduce cuteness ratings or interest in children, although they weakened relations between perceived cuteness and interest, and between perceived age and interest. Cuteness and related signals may guide adults’ interactions with children, fostering learning and development.