The effect of economic insecurity on mental health: Recent evidence from Australian panel data

Social Science & Medicine
Nicholas RohdePrasada Rao

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of economic insecurity on the mental health of Australian adults. Taking microdata from the 2001-2011 HILDA panel survey, we develop a conceptually diverse set of insecurity measures and explore their relationships with the SF-36 mental health index. By using fixed effects models that control for unobservable heterogeneity we produce estimates that correct for endogeneity more thoroughly than previous works. Our results show that exposure to economic risks has small but consistently detrimental mental health effects. The main contribution of the paper however comes from the breadth of risks that are found to be harmful. Job insecurity, financial dissatisfaction, reductions and volatility in income, an inability to meet standard expenditures and a lack of access to emergency funds all adversely affect health. This suggests that the common element of economic insecurity (rather than idiosyncratic phenomena associated with any specific risk) is likely to be hazardous. Our preferred estimates indicate that a standard deviation shock to economic insecurity lowers an individual's mental health score by about 1.4 percentage points. If applied uniformly across the Australian population such a shock would...Continue Reading

References

Feb 3, 1998·Social Science & Medicine·J E FerrieG Davey Smith
Jul 28, 1999·Scandinavian Journal of Public Health·J HintikkaH Viinamäki
Dec 8, 2000·International Journal of Health Services : Planning, Administration, Evaluation·P McDonough
Jul 29, 2003·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health·T A BlakelyJ Atkinson
Apr 26, 2005·Social Science & Medicine·Yawen ChengTung-liang Chiang
Jan 12, 2010·Social Science & Medicine·Krisztina D LászlóMichael Marmot
Aug 31, 2010·Economics and Human Biology·Avner OfferStanley Ulijaszek
Oct 18, 2011·Nursing Outlook·Carolyn C CannuscioTerri H Lipman
Oct 19, 2013·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Philip J Landrigan, Lynn R Goldman

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jun 10, 2017·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Albert NavarroSalvador Moncada
May 24, 2017·Health Promotion International·Dong ChenDongjie Wu
Feb 1, 2019·Journal of Mental Health·Paul McCrone
Dec 24, 2017·PharmacoEconomics·Laura Catherine EdneyJonathan Karnon
Jul 19, 2019·Economics and Human Biology·Barry Watson, Lars Osberg
Dec 9, 2020·The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·Tyler B MasonAdam M Leventhal
Jan 26, 2021·Child Development·Rochelle F HentgesSheri Madigan
May 6, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Chen-Yin LeeYen-Kuang Lin
Jul 14, 2021·The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences·Wei Yang, Bo Hu

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
J E Ferrie
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Mel Bartley
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Peter ButterworthLyndall Strazdins
The Medical Journal of Australia
R J Inall
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved