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Economic Disparities, Life Events, and the Gender Mental Health Gap

Author

Listed:
  • Thi Thao Nguyen

    (University of Queensland)

  • Kim Huong Nguyen

    (University of Queensland)

  • Nicholas Rohde

    (Griffith University)

Abstract

This paper studies factors explaining the gender mental health gap using Australian data. We show that men have significantly higher mean outcomes and the left tail of the combined distribution is disproportionately female. Using regression-based decompositions, we examine the degree that both socioeconomic inequalities and life experience account for this phenomenon. We find that disparities in income play a substantial role, and subject to an assumption of exogeneity, would be enough to account for the gender gap amongst individuals with very poor psychological wellbeing. We also examine the mental health effects of various negative life experience, such as the death of a family member or being a victim of violence. At the individual level, these variables have large effect sizes but are not strongly correlated with gender to explain our mental health disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Thi Thao Nguyen & Kim Huong Nguyen & Nicholas Rohde, 2024. "Economic Disparities, Life Events, and the Gender Mental Health Gap," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 174(3), pages 1053-1100, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:174:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-024-03424-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-024-03424-6
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mental health; Life experience; Negative life events; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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