IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jcecon/v52y2024i4p925-950.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of anti-corruption on mental health: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Fu, Jiawei
  • Zhou, Congyi

Abstract

Mental health directly influences individuals’ behaviors and decision-making processes, particularly for government officials grappling with mental health issues. This paper utilizes field data from China’s anti-corruption campaign to evaluate the campaign’s impact on mental health. Our findings indicate that depressive symptoms, as measured by CES-D8 scores, have risen significantly among government employees by 0.4 units per 100 increase in corruption investigation cases. This result suggests that the anti-corruption campaign within a year could potentially result in an average increase of 29% in depressive symptoms among government employees. Interestingly, no comparable effect was found among the general Chinese population. This discrepancy could be attributed to the transformative impact of the anti-corruption campaign on the internal governmental work environment, engendering stress among its employees.

Suggested Citation

  • Fu, Jiawei & Zhou, Congyi, 2024. "The impact of anti-corruption on mental health: Evidence from China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(4), pages 925-950.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:52:y:2024:i:4:p:925-950
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jce.2024.07.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014759672400043X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jce.2024.07.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gingerich, Daniel W., 2009. "Corruption and Political Decay: Evidence from Bolivia," Quarterly Journal of Political Science, now publishers, vol. 4(1), pages 1-34, March.
    2. Robert Gillanders, 2016. "Corruption and anxiety in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 47-69, February.
    3. Li, Hongbin & Zhou, Li-An, 2005. "Political turnover and economic performance: the incentive role of personnel control in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(9-10), pages 1743-1762, September.
    4. Chen, Ye & Li, Hongbin & Zhou, Li-An, 2005. "Relative performance evaluation and the turnover of provincial leaders in China," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 421-425, September.
    5. Junyan Jiang, 2018. "Making Bureaucracy Work: Patronage Networks, Performance Incentives, and Economic Development in China," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 62(4), pages 982-999, October.
    6. Ferrie, J.E. & Shipley, M.J. & Marmot, M.G. & Stansfeld, S.A. & Smith, G.D., 1998. "An uncertain future: The health effects of threats to employment security in white-collar men and women," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 88(7), pages 1030-1036.
    7. Christopher J. Anderson & Yuliya V. Tverdova, 2003. "Corruption, Political Allegiances, and Attitudes Toward Government in Contemporary Democracies," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(1), pages 91-109, January.
    8. Jahanvash Karim & Robert Weisz & Zainab Bibi & Shafiq Ur Rehman, 2015. "Validation of the Eight-Item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Among Older Adults," Post-Print hal-01796436, HAL.
    9. Shih, Victor & Adolph, Christopher & Liu, Mingxing, 2012. "Getting Ahead in the Communist Party: Explaining the Advancement of Central Committee Members in China," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 106(1), pages 166-187, February.
    10. Boliang Zhu, 2017. "MNCs, Rents, and Corruption: Evidence from China," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 61(1), pages 84-99, January.
    11. Eiji Yamamura & Antonio Andrés & Marina Katsaiti, 2012. "Does Corruption Affect suicide? Econometric Evidence from OECD Countries," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 40(2), pages 133-145, June.
    12. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Popova, Olga, 2021. "Can bribery buy health? Evidence from post-communist countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 991-1007.
    13. Kerry Pedigo & Verena Marshall, 2009. "Bribery: Australian Managers’ Experiences and Responses When Operating in International Markets," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 59-74, June.
    14. Nikolova, Milena, 2016. "Minding the happiness gap: Political institutions and perceived quality of life in transition," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 45(S), pages 129-148.
    15. Qiang Li & Lian An, 2020. "Corruption Takes Away Happiness: Evidence from a Cross-National Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 485-504, February.
    16. Li, Zeren & Manion, Melanie, 2023. "The Decline of Factions: The Impact of a Broad Purge on Political Decision Making in China," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 815-834, July.
    17. Wang, Yuhua & Dickson, Bruce J., 2022. "How corruption investigations undermine regime support: evidence from China," Political Science Research and Methods, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(1), pages 33-48, January.
    18. van Deurzen, Ioana, 2017. "And justice for all: Examining corruption as a contextual source of mental illness," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 26-34.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Feng, Bo & Lu, Bei & Wang, Zhen & Yu, Dandan, 2025. "Patronage networks and multitasking incentives: Evidence from local officials’ responses to public crises in China’s centralized bureaucracy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    2. Chen, Shawn Xiaoguang & Liu, Yong & Xu, Xianxiang, 2020. "Dynamics of Local Cadre Appointment in China11We are grateful to the editor Cheryl Long, and three referees for their valuable comments. Shawn Xiaoguang Chen thanks the support of Beijing Municipal Ed," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    3. Wu, Mingqin & Cao, Xun, 2021. "Greening the career incentive structure for local officials in China: Does less pollution increase the chances of promotion for Chinese local leaders?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Thomas F. Remington & Andrei A. Yakovlev & Elena Ovchinnikova & Alexander Chasovsky, 2020. "Career Trajectories Of Regional Officials: Russia And China Before And After 2012," HSE Working papers WP BRP 754/PS/2020, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    5. Tang, Lianzhou & Xu, Wenli, 2025. "Patronage and pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    6. Ji, Xiaoqing & Liu, Shuai & Lang, Jingyi, 2022. "Assessing the impact of officials' turnover on urban economic efficiency: From the perspective of political promotion incentive and power rent-seeking incentive," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PB).
    7. Pi-Han Tsai, 2016. "Fiscal incentives and political budget cycles in China," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 23(6), pages 1030-1073, December.
    8. Piotroski, Joseph D. & Zhang, Tianyu, 2014. "Politicians and the IPO decision: The impact of impending political promotions on IPO activity in China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(1), pages 111-136.
    9. Li, Yuan, 2013. "Downward Accountability in Response to Collective Actions: The Political Economy of Public Goods Provision in China," Stockholm School of Economics Asia Working Paper Series 2013-26, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm China Economic Research Institute.
    10. Chen, Bochao & Wang, Hang & Wang, Xianbin, 2024. "Innovation Like China: Evidence from Chinese Local Officials' Promotions," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Chen, Ling, 2017. "Grounded Globalization: Foreign Capital and Local Bureaucrats in China’s Economic Transformation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 381-399.
    12. Liangliang Liu & Wenqing Zhang, 2022. "Vertical fiscal imbalance and government spending on science and technology in China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 1953-1971, August.
    13. Tang, Pengcheng & Jiang, Qisheng & Mi, Lili, 2021. "One-vote veto: The threshold effect of environmental pollution in China's economic promotion tournament," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    14. Chen, Shuo & Qiao, Xue & Zhu, Zhitao, 2021. "Chasing or cheating? Theory and evidence on China's GDP manipulation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 657-671.
    15. Li, Daniel Z. & Zhang, Qi, 2018. "Policy choice and economic growth under factional politics: Evidence from a Chinese Province," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 12-26.
    16. Yang Zhou, 2022. "Economic institutions and horizontal checks and balances in the Chinese bureaucratic system: evidence at the prefecture-city level," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 133-160, June.
    17. Li, Jinghong & Liu, Zanhui & Yao, Yang, 2025. "Career paths in hierarchies: Theory and evidence from Chinese officials," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    18. Hanming Fang & Ming Li & Zenan Wu, 2022. "Tournament-Style Political Competition and Local Protectionism: Theory and Evidence from China," PIER Working Paper Archive 22-031, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    19. Jiang, Junyan & Zhang, Muyang, 2020. "Friends with benefits: Patronage networks and distributive politics in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    20. Patrick Francois & Francesco Trebbi & Kairong Xiao, 2023. "Factions in Nondemocracies: Theory and Evidence From the Chinese Communist Party," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(2), pages 565-603, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • P30 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - General
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jcecon:v:52:y:2024:i:4:p:925-950. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622864 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.