Child Disability and Effects on Sibling Mental Health

Janet Currie, N. Meltem Daysal, Mette Gørtz and Jonas Cuzulan Hirani

No 33303, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Mental health disorders are the leading cause of childhood disability worldwide. We examine the impact of a relatively common household stressor on child mental health: the presence of a younger sibling with a physical disability. Using Danish administrative data from families with at least 3 children, we focus on differences between first and second born children in families with and without a 3rd child with a disability. Second-born children in these families spend a larger fraction of their early childhood in families that may be under stress. We find that second-born children are 11 percent more likely to use mental health services than first-born children. There is a 19% increase in psychiatric visits and a 16% increase in use of psychiatric medications. These results are confirmed by matching models.

JEL-codes: I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-12
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