Heterogeneous spillover effects of children's education on parental mental health

Arbeitspapier

Despite extensive research on nonmarket returns to education, direct and spillover effects on mental health are widely unstudied. This study is the first to analyze heterogeneous intergenerational effects of children's education on parents' mental health. Given ambiguous theoretical implications, I explore potential mechanisms empirically. Using Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data, I estimate IV regressions, exploiting countrylevel variation in compulsory schooling reforms. Increasing children's education reduces parents' long-term probability of developing depression. Fathers and more educated sons drive this beneficial effect. Since mental illness is frequently undiagnosed, the findings may help improve elderly-specific health care provision.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: HCHE Research Paper ; No. 18

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health Behavior ; Returns to Education ; Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-labor Market Discrimination ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models: Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
• Subject: compulsory schooling reforms ; depression ; old age ; instrumental variable regression ; intergenerational spillover

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Everding, Jakob
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Hamburg, Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE)
• (where): Hamburg
• (when): 2019

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/200978
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET