Gender, Paid Work, and Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults in Resource-Poor Settings of India

This paper investigates the gendered impact of paid work, and transition into paid work, on the mental health of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in resource-poor settings in India. Data on 16,292 AYAs aged 10–19 years at the baseline were drawn from a longitudinal survey conducted in 2015–16 in India who are followed-up again in 2018–19. The mean estimates convey that Mental Ill-health Score (MIS) for AYAs who participated in paid work was significantly higher than those who had never participated, especially for females. The absolute female-male gap in MIS also increased from 1.16 in 2015–16 to 1.78 in 2018–19. Findings based on multiple robust econometric models reveal that the increase in MIS as a result of transitioning from not working to paid work or remaining in paid work was more significant for females than males net of other confounders. The gendered effect of paid work on MIS was sensitive to school attendance and marital status. Instrument variable regression estimates strengthen our argument that transition to paid work in adolescents and school-going ages cause higher psychological issues net of other predictors. In conclusion, we advance that participation in paid work during adolescence negatively impacts mental health and is gender-sensitive, with a more pronounced effect for school-going and married female AYAs.