The Psychological Cost of Market Transition: Mental Health Disparities in Reform-Era China

Yu, Wei‐hsin

doi:10.1525/sp.2008.55.3.347

Cited by 39 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Intuitively, this economic prosperity should raise the general happiness of individuals after the longtime shortage economy lasting from the 1950s to the 1970s (Knight and Gunatilaka, 2010). However, people's subjective wellbeing, such as life satisfaction and perceived happiness, declined, surprisingly, according to recent studies (Yu, 2008). This fall in happiness during the rising economy constitutes the so-called 'China puzzle' (Brockmann et al, 2009), which calls for further academic investigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public sector employment, relative deprivation and happiness in adult urban Chinese employees

2012

Health Promotion International

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SUMMARYThe decline in perceived happiness within economic prosperity in Chinese society calls for further examination. In this research, we investigate the effect of employment in public sector work units on perceived happiness through the mediation of economic and social status relative deprivations. In the reform era of China, work unit is still an important mechanism maintaining social inequality, and those working in government/Communist Party agencies and public institutions have advantages of getting access to high wage, comprehensive welfare and the manipulation of administrative public power. Such economic and social status advantages are expected to reduce their relative deprivation and further promote their perceived happiness. Using a nationwide survey data conducted in 2006, we find working in public sector can significantly reduce the odds of experiencing economic relative deprivation, which is further contributive to the improvement of subjective wellbeing.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public sector employment, relative deprivation and happiness in adult urban Chinese employees

2012

Health Promotion International

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“…This has lowered their economic well-being, and accentuated their senses of uncertainty and instability (Yu 2008 ). As women are more vulnerable to workplace discrimination, layoffs, and unemployment than men, they tend to have a stronger feeling of job insecurity.…”

Section: Impacts On Working Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work Satisfaction of Chinese Women

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Liu

2016

Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women

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“…Sweeping economic changes, however, are not always negatively associated with economic satisfaction. Rapid economic development, for example, may improve individuals' standard of living and decrease the likelihood of economic hardship, thus increasing subjective economic well-being (Yu 2008).…”

Section: Previous Research On Social Change and Psychological Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even beyond China, few studies of mental health in less-developed countries include systematic analyses of the same population over time (Harpham 1994), and even fewer utilize information from the same individuals. Therefore, although much research on China and other rapidly industrializing countries considers the drastically changing social environments as explanations for the levels or patterns of mental health (e.g., Bobak et al 2006;Kohn et al 1997;Lai and Lee 2006;Phillips et al 1999;Yu 2008), we lack conclusive evidence about how and how much individuals' psychological well-being alters as their societies undergo transitions. By utilizing panel data that follow Chinese urbanites over time, this study contributes to not only the literature on China's market transition but also our understanding of mental health shifts in radically changing societies in general.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The literature on market transitions, though extensive, predominantly focuses on how economic reforms reshape the distribution of material rewards and mechanisms for social stratification (e.g., Bian and Logan 1996;Shu and Bian 2003;Walder et al 2000;Wu 2006;Wu and Treiman 2004). At the same time, the few studies that do examine psychological well-being in the context of market transition fail to observe the same people over time (Abbott and Sapsford 2006;Kohn et al 1997;Yu 2008), resulting in a limited understanding of shifts in individuals' mental health in transitional economies.…”

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Growing Pains: Changes in Psychological Well-Being in Urban China

Chiu

2015

Soc Indic Res

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Previous research sheds little light on changes in mental health conditions in former socialist countries that have undergone massive transformations. In this study, we utilize rarely available panel data from urban China to examine alterations in interpersonal trust, economic satisfaction, and psychological depression during the 2000s. We find that urban Chinese residents have become more satisfied with their economic conditions, but less trusting and, consequently, more depressed. Moreover, with increasing heterogeneity in urban areas, the gap between migrants and natives in trust has narrowed, resulting in a shrinking gap in depression. Conversely, the gaps in depression between coastal and inland residents and between political elites and others have widened, perhaps because of these groups' different future outlooks. In general, our findings indicate that being in economically advantageous positions still benefits urban residents' mental health. On the whole, however, Chinese urbanites have experienced more symptoms of psychological depression, despite their growing economic satisfaction with market reforms. The strong association between changes in trust and depression suggests that continued transformations of urban communities and rises in income inequality are likely to increasingly impact mental health through eroding interpersonal trust.

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The Psychological Cost of Market Transition: Mental Health Disparities in Reform-Era China

Cited by 39 publications

References 49 publications

Public sector employment, relative deprivation and happiness in adult urban Chinese employees

Public sector employment, relative deprivation and happiness in adult urban Chinese employees

Work Satisfaction of Chinese Women

Growing Pains: Changes in Psychological Well-Being in Urban China

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