For this study, we followed a representative group of Dutch people over time by administering questionnaires at various time points. The analyses revealed, among other things, that:
- People who experienced more stress due to financial shortage ('financial scarcity') increasingly felt excluded from society over time. Conversely, people who felt more excluded from society later experienced stronger financial scarcity.
- The stronger the experience of financial scarcity, the more strongly people felt that they: a) could not participate in social activities, b) had a weaker social network, and c) were stigmatized.
These findings are important because they demonstrate how broad the negative experiences are that are associated with financial scarcity. This also includes social factors: the profoundly negative experience of not being able to participate and be part of society.
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