Publication type
Journal Article
Authors
Publication date
August 1, 2026
Summary:
This study explores the potential causal relationship between broadband internet access/use and mental health among UK adults. Despite the widespread internet access, its impact on mental health remains a topic of ongoing investigation. This study compares mental health outcomes before (2000–2004) and after (2005–2008) broadband internet became common in the UK, using longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). To address endogeneity concerns, this paper utilizes exogenous variation in the quality of internet access, attributed to the technical features of the access technology, and employs a difference-in-differences research design. The findings suggest a positive causal effect on improved mental health outcomes for women, potentially driven by increased satisfaction in leisure activities.
Published in
Cities
Volume
Volume: 175:107112
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2026.107112
ISSN
02642751
Subjects
Notes
© 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
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