The relationship between psychological distress and wealth: an analysis of household wealth changes from 2007-2019 in the United States by race, gender, and retirement status
Authors:   , Hampton Yvonne Renee 
Published: February 2023

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2023] The present study investigated for patterns of predation and parasitism among a collection of Plio-Pleistocene bivalves from the Nashua Formation of Florida. The processed sample yielded 2010 unique whole and broken valves representing 34 genera among 21 families. Traces indicative of predatory drill holes were the dominant trace type (7.7 percent; n=154) followed by trematode-induced pits and igloo-like structures (2.2 percent; n=45) and polydorid-induced traces (1.7 percent; n=35). Drillers strongly preferred Parvilucina and Cavilinga, polydorids preferred Mulinia and related forms and trematodes preferred Gemma and Mulinia and related forms as their preferred prey/host. Valve selectivity was found only for predatory traces in Caryocorbula and combined corbulids whereas site selectivities were recorded only in Mulinia and related forms where drilling predators selectively drilled the dorsal sectors and polydorid parasites preferentially parasitized the posterior sectors. Drilling predators were also size selective of their prey. We further explored if there is a trade-off between selecting parasitized versus healthy prey/hosts by testing for association, avoidance, or neutrality among the trace makers. No evidence for association or avoidance was found with the absence of patterns is best explained by the overall selection of taxa by the Nashua trace makers that limit competition and overlap between Nashua trace makers.This dissertation consists of two essays; we use Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data waves 2007-2019, to analyze the relationship between psychological distress and finances, specifically percent changes in wealth. Two measures of wealth were used for each respondent: percent change in wealth including home equity, and percent change in wealth excluding home equity. The dual measurement of percent change in wealth allows for a better understanding of wealth changes in the presence of psychological distress on financial assets, while also providing insight into the effects of home equity on overall wealth holdings. Social drift theory, which posits that psychological distress increases the likelihood of future financial challenges, was used as the guiding theory of this research. We measure psychological distress with the Kessler-6 index of psychological distress, and hypothesized that higher rates and levels of psychological distress The first paper of this dissertation, The Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Wealth: An Analysis of Household Wealth Changes From 2007-2019 In The United States By Race and Gender, examines the relationship between race, and gender, and psychological distress. We hypothesized that female gender, and Black race was associated with more negative percent changes in wealth overall, and at higher levels of psychological distress. As hypothesized, we found that that female gender and Black race were associated with negative percent changes in wealth overall. Although, when interaction terms were included, "psychological distress x gender female" was associated with negative changes in wealth at higher levels of psychological distress, but race of White, not Black, was associated with negative percent changes in wealth. These findings provide significant opportunity to further examine the relationship between race, and psychological distress in more detail to better understand the levels and other drivers of the differences. The second paper, The relationship between pre-retirement psychological distress and family wealth at retirement: An analysis from 2007 to 2019 in the United States, examines the relationship between psychological distress in pre-retirement years, and percent changes in wealth at retirement. As hypothesized, respondents with a history of higher levels of psychological distress have greater negative percent changes in wealth. While female gender was associated with greater negative percent changes in wealth, White race was also associated with negative percent changes in wealth. The finding that race of White was associated with greater negative percent changes in wealth was unexpected and provides significant opportunity for future research by more detailed race and gender characteristics, and prior levels of wealth.