I am a PhD student in Economics at the University of Cambridge. My research interests include development economics, institutional economics and network economics.
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PhD in Economics, 2025
University of Cambridge
MPhil in Economic Research, 2021
University of Cambridge
Master in International Economics, 2020
The Graduate Institute Geneva
Bachelor in Computer Engineering, 2016
National Institute of Technology, Surathkal
Covid-19 and the resulting lockdowns affected various aspects of people’s lives, including their mental health. Using data from an online survey, we investigate the role of religiosity in mediating the effect of Covid-19 on mental health. From February-March 2021, we conducted online surveys in the USA among 5178 individuals. These surveys elicited responses on (i) the incidence of Covid-19 infections among the respondents or their immediate social networks, (ii) religious beliefs and practices, and (iii) mental health. Employing the CES-D scale, which tests for depression in clinical settings, we find that while the incidence of a Covid-19 infection is associated with significantly worse mental health, this negative association is significantly smaller for religious people. We show that the mental health benefits of being religious emanate from the ability to participate in religious activities.