Exiting National Anti-Poverty Campaign, Social Support, and Improved Mental Health

We study the psychological and social impacts of exiting a national anti-poverty campaign, leveraging China’s phase-out of its national poverty assistance as a natural experiment. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that exiting the national campaign improves mental wellbeing. These improvements are accompanied by stronger social and family ties – such as greater perceived support and communication, while income and material conditions remain largely unchanged. Our findings offer insights into the design of policy exits and underscore the importance of incorporating measures that sustain community- and family-based support systems when implementing or ending assistance programs.