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Abortion policy, politics, and mental health: evidence from the Dobbs decision

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  • Sankar Mukhopadhyay

    (University of Nevada
    IZA)

  • Aina Katsikas

    (University of Nevada)

Abstract

After the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, abortion regulations are subject to state jurisdiction. Therefore, individuals in different states face very different levels of restrictions. We compare self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression among individuals living in states with limited or no access to abortion care to individuals in states with relatively few or no restrictions before and after the Dobbs decision using high-frequency, nationally representative data from the Household Pulse Survey and Difference in Difference regressions. Estimates suggest that respondents in the restricted states are 7.4% more likely to experience moderate to severe anxiety compared to unrestricted states. We show that trends in anxiety were similar in restricted and unrestricted states before the Dobbs decision, suggesting that the estimates may have a causal interpretation. Robustness checks rule out alternative explanations, such as the ending of the Emergency Allotment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Suggested Citation

  • Sankar Mukhopadhyay & Aina Katsikas, 2024. "Abortion policy, politics, and mental health: evidence from the Dobbs decision," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1551-1578, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:22:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s11150-024-09711-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-024-09711-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claire Oliveira & Makeila Saka & Lauren Bone & Rowena Jacobs, 2023. "The Role of Mental Health on Workplace Productivity: A Critical Review of the Literature," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 167-193, March.
    2. Mukhopadhyay, Sankar, 2022. "Elections have (health) consequences: Depression, anxiety, and the 2020 presidential election," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    3. Mukhopadhyay, Sankar, 2022. "The Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Job Loss Induced Mental Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US," IZA Discussion Papers 15150, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Laura Lindberg & Kathryn Kost & Isaac Maddow-Zimet & Sheila Desai & Mia Zolna, 2020. "Abortion Reporting in the United States: An Assessment of Three National Fertility Surveys," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(3), pages 899-925, June.
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