Education and Mental Health in Young Adulthood: New Evidence From Genetic Markers

IF 2.4 3区医学 Q2 ECONOMICS

Health economics Pub Date : 2025-07-06 DOI:10.1002/hec.70012

Alex Xingbang Weng

引用次数: 0

Abstract

This paper presents new evidence on the impact of education on depression in young adults. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, I employ family fixed-effect regressions and an instrumental variable approach using genetic scores. I find having a college degree is associated with a reduction in depression symptoms by 0.4–0.5 standard deviations and a decrease in the probability of experiencing major depression by 8%–12%. These findings are robust when exclusion restriction assumptions of the instrument are relaxed. A college degree appears to have a stronger protective effect on mental health for LGB individuals compared to heterosexuals. I find that education could affect mental health outcomes from better labor market outcomes and improved health behaviors. These results suggest that bolstering educational attainment could be an effective way to battle the high rate of depression.

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青少年的教育和心理健康：来自遗传标记的新证据。

这篇论文提出了关于教育对年轻人抑郁影响的新证据。利用来自全国青少年到成人健康纵向研究的数据，我采用家庭固定效应回归和使用遗传评分的工具变量方法。我发现，拥有大学学位与抑郁症症状减少0.4-0.5个标准差有关，与经历重度抑郁症的可能性减少8%-12%有关。当工具的排除限制假设放松时，这些发现是稳健的。与异性恋者相比，大学学位似乎对LGB个体的心理健康有更强的保护作用。我发现教育可以通过改善劳动力市场结果和改善健康行为来影响心理健康结果。这些结果表明，提高受教育程度可能是对抗高抑郁率的有效方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Health economics 医学-卫生保健

CiteScore

3.60

自引率

4.80%

发文量

177

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： This Journal publishes articles on all aspects of health economics: theoretical contributions, empirical studies and analyses of health policy from the economic perspective. Its scope includes the determinants of health and its definition and valuation, as well as the demand for and supply of health care; planning and market mechanisms; micro-economic evaluation of individual procedures and treatments; and evaluation of the performance of health care systems. Contributions should typically be original and innovative. As a rule, the Journal does not include routine applications of cost-effectiveness analysis, discrete choice experiments and costing analyses. Editorials are regular features, these should be concise and topical. Occasionally commissioned reviews are published and special issues bring together contributions on a single topic. Health Economics Letters facilitate rapid exchange of views on topical issues. Contributions related to problems in both developed and developing countries are welcome.