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Experimental evidence of welfare reform impact on clinical anxiety and depression levels among poor women

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  • Jagannathan, Radha
  • Camasso, Michael J.
  • Sambamoorthi, Usha

Abstract

In this paper, we employ a classical experiment to determine if welfare reform causes poor women to experience increased levels of clinical anxiety and depression. We organize our analyses around the insights provided by lifestyle change and ecosocial theories of illness. Our data come from the New Jersey Family Development Program (FDP), one of the most highly publicized welfare experiments in the U.S. AÂ sample of 8393 women was randomly assigned into two groups, one which stressed welfare-to-work and the other which offered traditional welfare benefits. These women were followed from 1992 through 1996 and information on clinical diagnoses was collected quarterly from physician treatment claims to the government Medicaid program. Our intention-to-treat estimates show that for short-term welfare recipients FDP decreased the prevalence of anxiety by 40% and increased depression by 8%. For black women both anxiety and depression diagnoses declined while Hispanic women experienced a 68% increase in depression. We discuss several public policy implications which arise from our work.

Suggested Citation

  • Jagannathan, Radha & Camasso, Michael J. & Sambamoorthi, Usha, 2010. "Experimental evidence of welfare reform impact on clinical anxiety and depression levels among poor women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 152-160, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:71:y:2010:i:1:p:152-160
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mary Jo Bane & David T. Ellwood, 1986. "Slipping into and out of Poverty: The Dynamics of Spells," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 21(1), pages 1-23.
    2. Hilary Williamson Hoynes, 2000. "Local Labor Markets And Welfare Spells: Do Demand Conditions Matter?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 82(3), pages 351-368, August.
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    4. Radha Jagannathan & Michael J. Camasso & Mark Killingsworth, 2004. "New Jersey's Family Cap Experiment: Do Fertility Impacts Differ by Racial Density?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 431-460, April.
    5. Marianne P. Bitler & Jonah B. Gelbach & Hilary W. Hoynes, 2005. "Welfare Reform and Health," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 40(2).
    6. Rebecca M. Blank, 2002. "Evaluating Welfare Reform in the United States," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(4), pages 1105-1166, December.
    7. Nielsen, Marcia J. & Juon, Hee-Soon & Ensminger, Margaret, 2004. "Preventing long-term welfare receipt: the theoretical relationship between health and poverty over the early life course," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(11), pages 2285-2301, December.
    8. Robert Kaestner & Elizabeth Tarlov, 2006. "Changes in the welfare caseload and the health of low-educated mothers," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(3), pages 623-643.
    9. *Unicef, 2007. "Child Poverty in Perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries," Papers inreca07/19, Innocenti Report Card.
    10. Marianne Bitler & Hilary W. Hoynes, 2006. "Welfare Reform and Indirect Impacts on Health," NBER Working Papers 12642, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Narain, Kimberly & Bitler, Marianne & Ponce, Ninez & Kominski, Gerald & Ettner, Susan, 2017. "The impact of welfare reform on the health insurance coverage, utilization and health of low education single mothers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 28-35.
    2. Emily Sama-Miller & Rebecca Kleinman & Lori Timmins & Heather Dahlen, "undated". "Employment and Health Among Low-Income Adults and Their Children: A Review of the Literature," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 6836d3a65c574ca1a62cd594e, Mathematica Policy Research.
    3. Guanglei Hong & Jonah Deutsch & Heather D. Hill, 2015. "Ratio-of-Mediator-Probability Weighting for Causal Mediation Analysis in the Presence of Treatment-by-Mediator Interaction," Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, , vol. 40(3), pages 307-340, June.
    4. Guanglei Hong & Jonah Deutsch & Heather D. Hill, 2013. "Ratio-of-Mediator-Probability Weighting for Causal Mediation Analysis in the Presence of Treatment-by-Mediator Interaction," Working Papers 2013-009, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    5. Viladrich, Anahí, 2012. "Beyond welfare reform: Reframing undocumented immigrants’ entitlement to health care in the United States, a critical review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 822-829.

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