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Is shared misery double misery?

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  • Mervin, Merehau Cindy
  • Frijters, Paul

Abstract

The literature has shown strong associations between health, financial and social life events and mental health. However, no studies as yet have looked at the temporal nature of the effects of life events on stated mental health nor have they included the effects of the events befalling partners within a household. This paper looks at the spillover in mental health, measured with the SF-36 scale, from one partner to the other, using life events to identify this relationship. We propose a new model that allows for both a temporal spacing of effects (anticipation and adaptation) as well as a spillover factor, which we define as the degree to which the events that are experienced by the partner affect us in the same way as if these events were to happen to us. We use data from 51,380 person-year observations of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey (2002–10) which consistently measures nine distinct events, including illnesses, social shocks and financial shocks. We find that the events befalling a partner on average have an effect about 15% as large as the effect of own events. We use the estimates to compute the compensation required to offset own and partner's life events. The methodology in this paper is potentially useful for estimating other spillover parameters such as the effects of others in the family or in the neighbourhood.

Suggested Citation

  • Mervin, Merehau Cindy & Frijters, Paul, 2014. "Is shared misery double misery?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 68-77.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:107:y:2014:i:c:p:68-77
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.02.009
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    3. Huang, Li & Frijters, Paul & Dalziel, Kim & Clarke, Philip, 2018. "Life satisfaction, QALYs, and the monetary value of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 131-136.
    4. David W. Johnston & Michael A. Shields & Agne Suziedelyte, 2018. "Victimisation, Well†being and Compensation: Using Panel Data to Estimate the Costs of Violent Crime," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(611), pages 1545-1569, June.
    5. Kristen Cooper & Mark Fabian & Christian Krekel, 2023. "New approaches to measuring welfare," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(2), pages 123-135, June.
    6. Peter Butterworth & Carmel Poyser & Aino Suomi, 2021. "Mental Health," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 54(4), pages 530-541, December.
    7. Sophie Byth & Paul Frijters & Tony Beatton, 2022. "The relationship between obesity and self-esteem: longitudinal evidence from Australian adults," Oxford Open Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 1, pages 1-14.
    8. Stillman, Steven & Velamuri, Malathi, 2016. "If Life Throws You Lemons, Try To Make Lemonade: Does Locus of Control Help People Cope with Unexpected Shocks?," IZA Discussion Papers 10210, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Ha Trong Nguyen & Alan Duncan, 2015. "Macroeconomic Fluctuations in Home Countries and Immigrants’ Wellbeing: New Evidence from Down Under," Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Working Paper series WP1502, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School.
    10. Melisa Bubonya & Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Mark Wooden, 2017. "Job loss and the mental health of spouses and adolescent children," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-27, December.
    11. Frijters, Paul & Krekel, Christian & Ulker, Aydogan, 2020. "Machiavelli versus concave utility functions: should bads be spread out or concentrated?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108421, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Dain Jung & Do Won Kwak & Kam Ki Tang & Myra Yazbeck, 2021. "How Do Job Conditions Amplify the Impacts of Mental Health Shocks?," Discussion Papers Series 647, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    13. Hailemariam, Abebe & Sakutukwa, Tutsirai & Yew, Siew Ling, 2021. "The impact of energy poverty on physical violence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).

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