Publication type
Conference Paper
Series
Australian Social Policy Conference 2009, 8-10, July 2009, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Author
Publication date
June 1, 2009
Abstract:
The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of job loss on family mental well-being.
Negative income shock due to job loss can affect the mental health status of the individual who directly experiences such displacement, as well as the psychological well-being of her/his partner; also, job loss may have a significantly detrimental effect on life satisfaction, self-esteem and on the individual’s perceived role in society. All these elements are likely to have repercussions on family members’ mental health. This analysis is based on the complete sample of married/cohabitating couples from the first 14 waves of the British Household Panel Survey. Controls are included for mental-health related sample attrition and mental health dynamics. Data from employment histories is utilised and redundancies (different from dismissals) in declining industries are used as an indicator of exogenous job loss. Two sensitivity analyses are conducted, including instrumental variable estimation. Results to date show evidence that couples in which the husband experiences a job loss are more likely to experience poor mental health and the negative effect is found from both exogenous redundancy and from dismissals. Hence there is evidence of multiple transmission channels through which displacements affect family well-being.
Subjects
Notes
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