The Bilateral Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Employment Status

Melisa Bubonya (), Deborah Cobb-Clark and David Ribar
Additional contact information
Melisa Bubonya: Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic and Social Research, the University of Melbourne, http://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/display/person651712

Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series from Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne

Abstract: This paper analyzes the bilateral relationship between depressive symptoms and employment status. We find that severe depressive symptoms are partially a consequence of economic inactivity. The incidence of depressive symptoms is higher if individuals have been out of a job for an extended period. Men’s mental health falls as they exit the labor force, while women’s worsens only after they have been out of the labor force for a period of time. Entering unemployment is also associated with a substantial deterioration in mental health, particularly for men. We also find that severe depressive symptoms, in turn, lead to economic inactivity. Individuals are less likely to be labor force participants or employed if they experience severe depressive symptoms. Men’s probability of being unemployed rises dramatically with the onset of depressive symptoms; women’s unemployment is increased by protracted depressive symptoms.

Keywords: Mental health; unemployment; labor market status; HILDA survey; depressive symptoms; depression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 J01 J64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50pp
Date: 2017-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-hea and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/as ... 308807/wp2017n10.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: The Bilateral Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Employment Status (2017)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2017n10

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series from Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 Australia. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sheri Carnegie ().