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The kids are not alright: differential trends in mental ill-health in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Ferdi Botha

    (Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research, The University of Melbourne)

  • Richard W. Morris

    (Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney; School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney)

  • Peter Butterworth

    (Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research, The University of Melbourne; National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University)

  • Nick Glozier

    (Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney)

Abstract

Given the observed deterioration in mental health among Australians over the past decade, this study investigates to what extent this differs in people born in different decades – i.e., possible cohort differences in the mental health of Australians. Using 20 years of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we find strong evidence that cohort effects are driving the increase in population level mental ill-health. Deteriorating mental health is particularly pronounced among people born in the 1990s and seen to a lesser extent among the 1980s cohort. There is little evidence that mental health is worsening with age for people born prior to the 1980s. The findings from this study highlight that it is the poorer mental health of Millennials that is driving the apparent deterioration in population-level mental health. Understanding the context and changes in society that have differentially affected younger people may inform efforts to ameliorate this trend and prevent it continuing for emerging cohorts.

Suggested Citation

  • Ferdi Botha & Richard W. Morris & Peter Butterworth & Nick Glozier, 2023. "The kids are not alright: differential trends in mental ill-health in Australia," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2023n03, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2023n03
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    File URL: https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/4465349/wp2023n03.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    mental ill-health; cohort effects; trajectories; Australia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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