Harvard University · Social ScienceHamad Health Lab
Rita Hamad · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Rita Hamad's lab focuses on understanding how county-level policies during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted mental health and healthcare access, particularly for vulnerable communities. By analyzing data from across the U.S., her research aims to identify which policies have helped or worsened existing disparities in mental health outcomes. The findings are intended to inform future public health policy and intervention efforts.
COVID-19mental healthhealthcare utilizationpolicy analysishealth disparities
Research Aims
3AIM 01Gather county-level COVID-19 policy data to analyze its impact on mental health disparities.
AIM 02Examine the effectiveness of economic support policies on mitigating mental health issues during the pandemic.
AIM 03Assess the relationship between county-level policies and healthcare utilization for mental health services.
Skills the Lab Values
data collectiondata analysisstatistical modelingGIS mappingsurvey design
Output against the department
Publications155top 42% of dept.32nd of 77
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.4ktop 47% of dept.36th of 77
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.