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Effect of mortgage indebtedness on health of U.S. homeowners

Author

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  • Leigh Ann Leung

    (Brown University)

  • Catherine Lau

    (Carthage College)

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of excessive mortgage indebtedness on health among homeowners using nine waves of the Health and Retirement Study from 1992 to 2008. Health status is measured by subjective well-being, number of depressive symptoms, and incidence of hypertension. Using average annual state-level home prices as an instrument, we attempt to identify the causal effect in an panel IV framework. Results from the panel IV estimations suggest that having a high mortgage loan to home value (LTV), defined as LTV at or above 80 %, leads to more depressive symptoms and a higher incidence of hypertension, but has no effect on subjective well-being. Since the results from panel estimations did not show that debt affects health, whether the panel IV results demonstrate a causal relationship depends critically on the exclusion assumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Leigh Ann Leung & Catherine Lau, 2017. "Effect of mortgage indebtedness on health of U.S. homeowners," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 239-264, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:15:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s11150-014-9250-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-014-9250-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lawrence M. Berger & Jason N. Houle, 2019. "Rising Household Debt and Children’s Socioemotional Well-being Trajectories," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1273-1301, August.
    2. Zhiming Cheng & Silvia Mendolia & Alfredo R. Paloyo & David A. Savage & Massimiliano Tani, 2021. "Working parents, financial insecurity, and childcare: mental health in the time of COVID-19 in the UK," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 123-144, March.
    3. Maite Blázquez & Santiago Budría & Ana I. Moro‐Egido, 2021. "Job Insecurity, Debt Burdens, and Individual Health," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 67(4), pages 872-899, December.
    4. Jing Jian Xiao & Kyoung Tae Kim, 2022. "The Able Worry More? Debt Delinquency, Financial Capability, and Financial Stress," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 138-152, March.
    5. Mudrazija, Stipica & Butrica, Barbara A., 2023. "How does debt shape health outcomes for older Americans?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    6. Gum-Ryeong Park & Jinho Kim, 2023. "Trajectories of Life Satisfaction Before and After Homeownership: The Role of Housing Affordability Stress," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 397-408, January.
    7. Hiilamo, Aapo, 2020. "Debt matters? Mental wellbeing of older adults with household debt in England," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 106507, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Merike Kukk, 2019. "Debt repayment problems: short-term and long-term implications for spending," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 715-740, June.
    9. Blázquez, Maite & Budría, Santiago & Moro-Egido, Ana I., 2020. "Over-indebtedness and age: The effects on individual health," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Mesly, Olivier, 2023. "Irrational exuberance and deception — Why markets spin out of control," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mortgage debt; Health; Financial stress; Panel data; Instrumental variables;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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