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Health shocks and well-being

Author

Listed:
  • Klaus F. Zimmermann

    (Harvard University
    UNU–MERIT)

Abstract

Well-being is the ultimate objective of any labour movement. For long, efforts have concentrated on the provision of jobs and decent work conditions. Recently, however, labour economics has been focussing on health, in general, and mental health, in particular. It is time for labour economists to study this challenging issue. Typically, work is not the cause of poor mental health but, often, its cure. Decent work or earnings may help to avoid or moderate mental health issues. While in advanced societies the social effect of decent work may moderate illness, in developing economies sufficient earnings may pave the way out of natural causes of illness. This paper makes the case that natural arsenic poisoning of water affects the well-being of families negatively and causes substantial loss. Recent research for Bangladesh suggests that showing the symptoms of arsenic poisoning reduces well-being substantially. The impacts on mental health can be avoided or reduced through education and the relaxation of financial constraints on families.

Suggested Citation

  • Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2016. "Health shocks and well-being," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 59(1), pages 155-164, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:59:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s41027-016-0045-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s41027-016-0045-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mental health; Subjective well-being; Water pollution; Arsenic; Bangladesh;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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