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State mental health insurance parity laws and college educational outcomes

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  • Solomon, Keisha T.
  • Dasgupta, Kabir

Abstract

We examine the effect of the state-level full parity mental illness law implementation on mental illness among college-aged individuals and human capital accumulation in college. We utilize administrative data on completed suicides and grade point average (GPA) and survey data on reported mental illness days and decisions to disenroll from college between 1998 and 2008 in a difference-in-differences (DD) analysis to uncover the causal effects of state-level parity laws. We find that state-level parity law reduces youth suicide rate and propensity to report any poor mental health day, increases college GPA, and does not change the propensity to disenroll from college.

Suggested Citation

  • Solomon, Keisha T. & Dasgupta, Kabir, 2022. "State mental health insurance parity laws and college educational outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:86:y:2022:i:c:s016762962200090x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102675
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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