Objectives. To evaluate the impact of the temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for childless adults in 2021 on the mental health of home renters and homeowners. Methods. We used US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2021 through 2023. Mental health outcomes included the number of mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days and an indicator for frequent mental distress (14 or more unhealthy days). We used a difference-in-differences design comparing outcome changes before and after the EITC expansion between young adults 18 to 24 years of age (treatment group) and adults 25 to 29 years of age (control group), separately for renters and homeowners. Results. The EITC expansion was associated with statistically significant improvements in mental health among young renters but not homeowners. Specifically, after the expansion in 2022, renters 18 to 24 years of age experienced a mean of 2.21 fewer mentally unhealthy days and exhibited a 9.8 percentage point decrease in the probability of frequent mental distress relative to older renters. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that antipoverty programs such as the EITC are associated with improvements in mental health among young adults who rent. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 28, 2025:e1-e10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308219).
Ali et al. (Thu,) studied this question.