Data and Code for: Mental Health Costs of Lockdowns: Evidence from Age-specific Curfews in Turkey

Using a strict, age-specific lockdown order for adults aged 65 and older in Turkey, we examine the mental health consequences of an extended period of tight mobility restrictions on senior adults. Adopting a regression discontinuity design, we find that the curfew-induced decline in mobility substantially worsened mental health outcomes, including somatic and nonsomatic symptoms of mental distress (approximately 0.2 standard deviation). Exploring potential channels, we document an increase in social and physical isolation, with no evidence of robust changes in labor market outcomes or intrahousehold conflict for this subpopulation.

在土耳其针对65岁及以上成年人实施严格的年龄特定封锁令的背景下，本研究审视了长期严格的流动性限制对老年人心理健康产生的后果。采用回归不连续设计，研究发现，宵禁导致的流动性下降显著恶化了心理健康状况，包括躯体和精神压力症状（约0.2个标准差）。探讨潜在渠道，我们记录了社会和物理隔离的增加，而对于这一亚群体，劳动市场结果或家庭内部冲突并无显著变化。