When the Stockton, California, city government gave a group of randomly selected residents in low-income neighborhoods $500 a month for two years—no strings attached—the impact reached beyond recipients’ pocketbooks.
Researchers studying Stockton’s pilot program found that the regular payments, begun in 2019, stabilized families’ finances and spurred more full-time employment. But they also discovered that many of the 150 participants also showed improved mental health outcomes , including reduced depression and anxiety, and increased energy and emotional well-being. And researchers found that over the program’s two years, participants moved from "likely having a mild mental health disorder" to "likely mental […]
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