Antidepressants and age: A new form of evidence for U-shaped well-being through life

David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2016, vol. 127, issue C, 46-58

Abstract: A growing literature argues that mental well-being follows an approximate U-shape through life. Yet in the eyes of some scholars this evidence remains controversial. The reason is that it relies on people’s answers to ‘happiness’ surveys. The present paper explores a different approach. It examines modern data on the use of antidepressant pills (as an implicit signal of mental distress) in 27 European nations. The regression-adjusted probability of using antidepressants reaches a peak in people’s late 40s. This pattern – one that does not rely on well-being survey answers – is thus consistent with the claim that human beings experience a midlife low.

Keywords: Well-being; Aging; Antidepressants; Mental health; Depression; Happiness; Easterlin paradox (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 I12 I3 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:127:y:2016:i:c:p:46-58

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2016.04.010

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