Population well-being and the COVID-19 vaccination program in Chile: evidence from Google Trends

We analyze the dynamics of the mental well-being of the Chilean population in response to the progress of the vaccination strategy implemented by the government. This study aims at investigating the possibility of using Google Trends as an instrument for tracking mental well-being of the Chilean population. We use the volume of searches for keywords in Google Trends (GT) related to Anguish, Anxiety, Depression, and Stress as a proxy for population well-being. Using event study methods, we analyze social attention reactions to news about the vaccination program. We implement a Difference-in-Difference-in-Differences estimation to estimate changes in population welfare by socio-economic status induced by the progress of inoculation. We show that social attention to mental health problems is sensitive to news about the vaccination program. Moreover, and most importantly, we find that mental well-being responds positively to the percentage of inoculated people. This phenomenon appear to be permanent and affected by socio-economic status, with the wealthier population experiencing greater improvements than the less wealthy. During the COVID-19 vaccination program in Chile, social attention to mental health problems appears to be sensitive to news about the vaccination program. There is also strong evidence of socio-economic status–induced heterogeneity in population responses to program implementation. The above phenomena appears to be permanent and cannot be attributed to either socio-economic segregation in access to vaccines or to the highly stratified schedule of the vaccination program.