Essays in Development Economics

Abstract

These three essays present development economic evidence in the context of forcibly displaced populations. In Chapter One, I consider that people might withhold useful information from others to avoid being associated with a stigmatized product or service. In a field experiment with 847 Syrian refugee friend groups, I investigate whether an external excuse can increase the exchange of information on a stigmatized topic -- specifically, mental health services. First, I document simultaneously significant local knowledge about who may be depressed, positive beliefs about mental health treatment efficacy, and a reluctance to share information about services: only 22% of friends receive information. The study’s main finding is that giving individuals social cover, by encouraging them to disclose that they are compensated to share information, raises sharing rates by 37%. In a reversal of the common prediction that financial incentives may crowd out prosocial behavior, I instead find that in this setting with stigma, increasing the observability of financial incentives crowds in prosocial behavior. In Chapter Two, we investigate effects of a large-scale NGO housing assistance program for Syrian refugees in Jordan, where approximately 85% live outside camps. The program offered full rental subsidies and landlord incentives for housing improvements, but saw only moderate uptake (34%), partly due to landlord reluctance. In contrast to forecasts gathered from researchers and policy experts, who were moderately optimistic about program impacts on refugee outcomes, the main analysis did not find significant positive impacts on primary refugee household outcomes besides rental expenditures, nor on social cohesion with neighbors. In Chapter Three, I present descriptive evidence on the prevalence, duration, correlates, and perceptions of mental health among Syrian refugees in Jordan, utilizing longitudinal data from representative samples comprising over 5,000 refugees. The data point to high rates of depression exceeding 45%, and reveal that across a 2-year time frame, 65% likely experience depression. Strikingly, 90% of depression likely goes untreated despite provider capacity, respondent awareness of their own distress levels, and respondent beliefs that treatment is effective. Data on perceptions point to stigma as a potential barrier, as well as to a possible disconnect between respondents' daily priorities and the perceived benefits of mental health treatment, which I hope to explore in future work.