Financial well-being and life satisfaction of individuals during the Covid-19 outbreak

Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to identify how factors related to financial health, financial ignorance, future prospects, emotional constructs, mental accounting, financial crisis, and household consumptions affect adult population’s financial well-being and life satisfaction in Turkey during an ongoing pandemic. Methodology - The data were collected through an online survey between May 26 and June 15, 2020. The sample of the study consisted of 1333 participants (58.7% women; 41.3% men). Descriptive statistics were calculated regarding the socio-economic variables (frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, maximum, minimum). Then independent groups t-test analyses were conducted to compare the means of the scales by gender. Finally, Linear Regression Model were used to compare the effects of independent variables on three dependent variables (financial well-being measured as financial security/anxiety and life satisfaction). Findings- The result shows that participants were financially coping during the COVID-19 outbreak. There was a significant difference when comparing mean financial health, spending and saving scores between men and women This study concluded that financial ignorance, financial health, perceptions of the household’s future economic outlook and national economic situation, emotional constructs and gender were significantly related to financial well-being. Furthermore, financial health, financial security, perceptions of the future economic outlook of the household economic situation, mental accounting, changes in consumption, emotional constructs, gender, and marital status were predicted life satisfaction. Conclusion- The findings would be useful for policy makers to maintain the parallel expansion of financial, psychological and welfare measures to improve people’s financial well-being and life satisfaction and to strengthen the subjective well-being of individuals to fight against COVID-19. This research will help government and policymakers to maintain their economic and psychological policies and measures to provide relief to individuals during this current and post COVID-19 recovery knowing the psychological and financial situation of the general public. Keywords: Financial health, financial ignorance, financial well-being, financial anxiety, financial security, life satisfaction. JEL Codes: A14, D1, D9