Comparing the impact of emergency cash transfer payments during the COVID pandemic on coping among Australian young adults with and without pre-existing mental disorders: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract Background The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused financial hardship and psychological distress among young Australians. This study investigates whether the Australian Government’s emergency cash transfer payments – specifically welfare expansion for those unemployed prior to the pandemic (known in Australia as the JobSeeker Coronavirus Supplement) and JobKeeper (cash support for those with reduced or stopped employment due to the pandemic) – had a positive impact on individual’s level of coping during the coronavirus pandemic among those with and without mental and neurodevelopmental disorders (including anxiety, depression, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Methods The sample included 902 young adults from the last three waves (8, 9C1, 9C2) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a nationally representative cohort study. Random-effects models were used to assess the impact of emergency cash transfer payments on 18-22-year-old’s self-rated coping, stratifying the analysis by those with and without mental disorders. All models were adjusted for gender, employment, location, family cohesion, history of smoking, alcohol intake, and COVID-19 test result. Results Of the 902-sample analysed, 85% reported fair-to-high levels of coping, 19% had mental or neurodevelopmental disorders, 40% received the Coronavirus Supplement and 16% received JobKeeper. Analysing the total sample demonstrated that participants who received the JobKeeper payment were more likely to have a higher level of coping compared to those who did not receive the JobKeeper payment. Stratified analyses demonstrated that those with pre-existing mental or neurodevelopmental disorder obtained significant benefit from the JobKeeper payment on their level of coping, compared to those who did not receive JobKeeper. In contrast, receipt of the Coronavirus Supplement was not significantly associated with higher level of coping. Among those with no mental health disorder, neither the Coronavirus Supplement nor JobKeeper had a statistically significant impact on level of coping. Conclusion These findings suggest the positive impacts of cash transfers on level of coping during the pandemic were limited to those with a pre-existing mental or neurodevelopmental disorder who received JobKeeper.