The mental health cost of corruption: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Robert Gillanders

No 201126, Working Papers from School of Economics, University College Dublin

Abstract: This paper examines the effect that experiencing corruption has on an individual’s mental health using microeconomic data from the Afrobarometer surveys. The results show a statistically significant and economically meaningful effect in both binary and ordered probit models using both an experience of corruption index and a simple binary variable. Having to pay a bribe to obtain documents and permits, to avoid problems with the police or to access medical care emerge as the arenas in which corruption can have a damaging effect on mental health. Some evidence is presented that an individual needs to experience such corruption more than ‘once or twice’ for this effect to become evident.

Keywords: Mental Health; Corruption; Well-Being; Sub-Saharan Africa; Mental health--Africa, Sub-Saharan; Corruption--Psychological aspects--Africa, Sub-Saharan; Well-being--Africa, Sub-Saharan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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http://hdl.handle.net/10197/3680 First version, 2011 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Corruption and anxiety in Sub-Saharan Africa (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucn:wpaper:201126

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