The Impact of Family Policies on Maternal Health

Fabian T. Dehos (), Marie Elina Paul (), Wiebke Schäfer () and Karolin Süß ()
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Fabian T. Dehos: RWI
Marie Elina Paul: University of Duisburg-Essen
Wiebke Schäfer: Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS)
Karolin Süß: University of Duisburg-Essen

No 17998, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of two major family policies on maternal health, using rich claims data from the German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database (GePaRD). We report a significant short-term impact of childcare on diagnosed respiratory diseases and heterogeneous effects on mental health. Childcare tends to reduce diagnoses of mental disorders and the use of psychotherapy among mothers with a history of mental disorders before childbirth, those with a strong attachment to the labor market and those who live in counties with low childcare provision. Conversely, low-educated mothers exhibit short-term increases in mental disorders and antidepressant use. Parental benefits alter the timing of respiratory diseases and slightly reduce mental disorders and their treatments in the first year after childbirth.

Keywords: family policies; maternal health; claims data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I18 J13 J18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-07
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