TY - JOUR

T1 - Consequences of serious parental health events on child mental health and educational outcomes

AU - Kristiansen, Ida Lykke

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - I show that serious, yet common, parental health events in childhood have immediate and lasting effects on mental health and educational outcomes for children. Following a parental health event, the children are more likely to receive therapy and consume anti-depressant (AD) medication. More so, the children achieve lower test scores and have lower school enrollment rates. The effect immediately occurs following the event and persists at least into early adulthood. I find that the effect on test scores doesn't differ significantly across family income, but that children from low-income families are more likely to be prescribed ADs following the event, while children from high-income families are more likely to receive therapy. Exploiting differences in general practitioners' behavior in prescribing AD and referring children to therapy, I find suggestive evidence that children who are more exposed to medical treatment of mental health issues have lower educational attainments in early adulthood.

AB - I show that serious, yet common, parental health events in childhood have immediate and lasting effects on mental health and educational outcomes for children. Following a parental health event, the children are more likely to receive therapy and consume anti-depressant (AD) medication. More so, the children achieve lower test scores and have lower school enrollment rates. The effect immediately occurs following the event and persists at least into early adulthood. I find that the effect on test scores doesn't differ significantly across family income, but that children from low-income families are more likely to be prescribed ADs following the event, while children from high-income families are more likely to receive therapy. Exploiting differences in general practitioners' behavior in prescribing AD and referring children to therapy, I find suggestive evidence that children who are more exposed to medical treatment of mental health issues have lower educational attainments in early adulthood.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - education

KW - mental health

KW - parental death

KW - parental health event

U2 - 10.1002/hec.4278

DO - 10.1002/hec.4278

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33931927

VL - 30

SP - 1772

EP - 1817

JO - Health Economics

JF - Health Economics

SN - 1057-9230

ER -