The Association Between Financial Insecurity and Distress

by

Faculty Sponsor: Valerie L. Nazzaro

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Vik Georgieva (she/her/hers)

Vik is a freshman at Wesleyan University. She’s an international student from Bulgaria and a prospective triple major in Government, Neuroscience and Behavior as well as Psychology. Her interests include public speaking, linguistics, dance, and visual arts. 

Abstract:

Consistent with the literature explored in the course of this research, my findings from the National Financial Well-Being Survey affirm the anticipated link between financial factors and distress. The survey, encompassing 6,394 American residents over 18, revealed a significant correlation between the presence of emotional distress and having taken a student loan. Further analysis demonstrated that in addition to loans, not being able to afford food and not having reliable savings are associated with emotional distress as well. The observed positive correlation between emotional distress and the score variable (consisting of all categorical response variables), strengthens the argument for the pervasive influence of financial factors on an individual’s psychological well-being. As a prospective avenue for future study, it would be valuable to investigate whether the severity of the financial burden corresponds to the severity of the stress.

Vik_Georgieva_poster