The Enduring Impact of Childhood Experience on Mental Health: Evidence Using Instrumented Co-Twin Data

Rachel Berner Shalem, Francesca Cornaglia and Jan-Emmanuel De Neve

CEP Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: The question of whether there is a lasting effect of childhood experience on mental health has eluded causal measurement. We draw upon identical twin data and econometric instrumentation to provide an unbiased answer. We find that 55% of a one standard deviation change in mental health due to idiosyncratic experience at age 9 will still be present three years later. Extending the analysis, we find such persistence to vary with age at impact, gender, and mental health sub-categories. This investigation allows us to get a grasp on the degree to which childhood events influence health and socio-economic outcomes by way of their lagged effect on subsequent mental health. A better understanding of the evolution of mental health also helps identifying when mental health issues can be most effectively treated.

Keywords: mental health; childhood experience; twin study; instrumental variable analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The enduring impact of childhood experience on mental health: evidence using instrumented co-twin data (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1175

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