Mental Health and Economic Conditions : How Do Economic Fluctuations Influence Mental Problems?

This paper seeks to assess how economic fluctuations, measured by changes in the regional unemployment rate, affect mental health of individuals who are currently active in the labor market. We use the UK's 1997-2010 Labour Force Survey to show whether people are more likely to report suffering from mental problems when the economic situation worsens. The results suggest that, when the economic situation deteriorates, employed married men, employed and unemployed married women are more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety, while single unemployed men benefit from living in the higher-unemployment areas. There disparities may arise because of differences in social pressure on men and women in recessions, which themselves differ by marital status