Mental health problems are a leading cause of disability in both developed and developing countries, and the consequences of mental health disorders for individuals, families, and society as a whole could be severe and costly. To supplement relevant research and provide insightful policy suggestions to families, government and societies, this study investigates the nexus between natural disasters and mental health for middle-aged and older adults in rural China. Based on data of 8721 observations from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies, we estimate the effects of natural disasters on mental health using ordinary least squares and propensity score matching. Our findings suggest that natural disasters have a significant negative effect on middle-aged and older adults’ mental health in the case of rural China. This effect is heterogeneous depending on individuals’ education level and their agricultural production status. Finally, individuals’ happiness and life satisfaction are shown to be the potential mechanism through which the effect of natural disasters on mental health operates.

The artist’s resale right, which helps artists to profit from successive sales of their work, has long been controversial due to its supposed effect on the art market. Many countries have not introduced the resale right due to concerns that it could have a negative impact on the art market. So, does the resale right affect the art market? If so, what impact will it cause? This study attempts to address these questions. The originality of this paper also stems from the data that the authors have collected themselves. By constructing a structural gravity model using data on 189 exporters and importers from 1990 to 2019, we find that the resale right has a different impact on the international art market for both exporters and importers. The resale right leads to an increase in imports of artworks, but not in exports. In general, the resale right does not have a negative impact on the domestic art market.

The artist’s resale right has been recognized by countries around the world in an effort to protect artists. However, despite having one of the largest art markets in the world, China has not yet established the resale right. During the last revision of the Copyright Law, although the resale right was introduced in a draft amendment, this legislative attempt ultimately failed. Considering China’s important position in the world art market, there is still controversy surrounding the question of whether China needs to introduce this right. Tracing back the causes for China’s legislative failure, it can be seen that the main reason is that China misunderstood the rationale for the legitimacy of the resale right. According to the ‘balance among authors’ theory and considering the need to protect the interests of artists, China should introduce this right. Moreover, since China already has a strict regulatory mechanism for the art market, the country meets the conditions for the successful implementation of the resale right, which means that it can be introduced relatively easily in China.