Impact of Education Level on Change in Mental Health during COVID

Preregistration of analyses

Analysis #1

\[ H_0 : \mu_2 - \mu_1 = 0 \]

The null hypothesis is, given that the education level stays constant, the percentage of people who received counseling or therapy in the last 4 weeks did not change from August 19, 2020 to May 9, 2022.

Mu_1 is the mean percentage of people who received counseling or therapy in the last 4 weeks at August 19, 2022. Mu_2 represents the mean percentage of people who received counseling or therapy in the last 4 weeks at May 9, 2022. We will be evaluating the difference between these two mean values.

\[ H_A : \mu_2 - \mu_1 \neq 0 \]

The alternative hypothesis is that this percentage did change throughout that same time period. We will test this by finding the average percentage of people who received counseling or therapy in the last 4 weeks for August to December 2020 and comparing that to the average percentage of people with this treatment from August to December 2021. We will also find the average percentage of people who received counseling or therapy in the last 4 weeks for January to May 2021 and compare this to the average percentage of people with this same treatment for January to May 2022.

Analysis #2

\[H_0 : \mu_2 - \mu_1 = 0\]

The null hypothesis is, given that the education level stays constant, the percentage of people who needed counseling or therapy but did not receive it in the last 4 weeks did not change from August 19, 2020 to May 9, 2022.

Mu_1 is the mean percentage of people who needed counseling or therapy but did not receive it in the last 4 weeks at August 19, 2022. Mu_2 represents the mean percentage of people who needed counseling or therapy but did not receive it in the last 4 weeks at May 9, 2022. We will be evaluating the difference between these two mean values.

\[ H_A : \mu_2 - \mu_1 \neq 0 \]

The alternative hypothesis is that this percentage did change throughout that same time period. We will test this by finding the average percentage of people who needed counseling or therapy but did not receive it in the last 4 weeks for August to December 2020 and comparing that to the average percentage of people with this absence of treatment from August to December 2021. We will also find the average percentage of people who needed counseling or therapy but did not receive it in the last 4 weeks for January to May 2021 and compare this to the average percentage of people with this lack of treatment for January to May 2022.