A Family Affair: Job Loss and the Mental Health of Spouses and Adolescents

Melisa Bubonya (), Deborah Cobb-Clark and Mark Wooden
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Melisa Bubonya: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne, http://melbourneinstitute.com/staff/mbubonya/default.html

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

Abstract: This study examines the impact of involuntary job loss on the mental health of family members. Estimates from fixed-effects panel data models, using panel data for Australia, provide little evidence of any negative spillover effect on the mental health of husbands as a result of their wives’ job loss. The mental well-being of wives, however, declines following their husbands’ job loss, but only if that job loss results in a sustained period of nonemployment or if the couple experienced financial hardship or relationship strain prior to the husband’s job loss. A negative effect of parental job loss on the mental health of co-resident adolescent children is also found, but appears to be restricted to girls.

Keywords: Unemployment; involuntary job loss; mental health; families; spouses; adolescents; HILDA Survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 J10 J65 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 52pp
Date: 2014-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Working Paper: A Family Affair: Job Loss and the Mental Health of Spouses and Adolescents (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2014n23

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