Mental health effects of education

Abstract

We analyze the role of education as a determinant of mental health. To do this, we leverage the age-specific exposure to an educational reform as an instrument for years of education and find that the treated cohorts gained more education. This increase in education had an effect on mental health more than 2 decades later. An extra year of education led to a lower likelihood of reporting any symptoms related to depression ( 11.3% ) and anxiety ( 9.8% ). More educated people also suffered less severe symptoms -depression ( 6.1% ) and anxiety ( 5.6% ). These protective effects are higher among women and rural residents. The effects of education on mental well-being that we document are potentially mediated through better physical health, improved health behavior and knowledge, and an increase in women's empowerment.

Социально-Экономические Факторы Риска Развития Послеродовой Депрессии И Послеродового Посттравматического Стрессового Расстройства

“…Результаты нашего исследования также подтверждают эти данные, поскольку при более низких уровнях образования респонденток (начальное и среднее образование) частота послеродовой депрессии была значимо выше, чем у респонденток, имеющих высшее образование. Эта связь может быть объяснена более низкой информированностью женщин о психических расстройствах и возможности их лечения (Kondirolli & Sunder, 2022). Также существуют исследования, демонстрирующие связь уровня образования с навыком рефлексии и оценки собственных симптомов (Lozupone et al, 2022).…”

The right to education throughout the life course, advances, and challenges: contribution of WPA-SOAP and IPA

“…Low education is associated with less psychosocial resources, which in turn serve together with daily hassles as mediators in pathways connecting education, depressive symptoms, and positive mental health (Niemeyera et al ., 2019). The effects of education on mental well-being are potentially mediated through better physical health, improved health behavior and knowledge, and an increase in people empowerment (Kondirolli and Sunder, 2022).…”

Mental health economics—Social determinants and care‐use

“…Amid the extensive health economics literature on education and health, evidence on the positive effect of education on mental health exists in high‐income countries. The paper by Kondirolli and Sunder (2022) makes an important contribution by expanding this evidence to a lower‐income country setting. They leverage a major shock to educational attainment for Black Zimbabweans and examine its effects on mental health 20 years later.…”

“…This raises questions about the mechanisms through which additional schooling improved mental health. Kondirolli and Sunder (2022) identify several possibilities: better physical health, improved health behavior or knowledge, and increased female empowerment. Future research should try to establish the importance of these and potentially other factors that mediate the protective effect of education.…”