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The effects of state‐level earned income tax credits on suicides

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  • Otto Lenhart

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between state‐level earned income tax credit (EITC) laws in the United States on suicides. Following findings in previous work showing that the EITC is associated with lower depression rates and reduced number of risky biomarkers, I estimated the effects of state EITC generosity on suicide rates. Using data for the years 1996 to 2016, a period with 74 state‐level EITC policy changes, I find that introducing a high state EITC rate reduces suicide rates for adults aged 25 or above by 3.91%. The results are consistent across four different measures of EITC generosity.

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  • Otto Lenhart, 2019. "The effects of state‐level earned income tax credits on suicides," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(12), pages 1476-1482, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:28:y:2019:i:12:p:1476-1482
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.3948
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Scholz, John Karl, 1994. "The Earned Income Credit: Participation, Compliance, and Antipoverty Effectiveness," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 47(1), pages 63-87, March.
    2. Hilary Hoynes & Doug Miller & David Simon, 2015. "Income, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Infant Health," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(1), pages 172-211, February.
    3. Markowitz, Sara & Komro, Kelli A. & Livingston, Melvin D. & Lenhart, Otto & Wagenaar, Alexander C., 2017. "Effects of state-level Earned Income Tax Credit laws in the U.S. on maternal health behaviors and infant health outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 67-75.
    4. Hilary W. Hoynes & Ankur J. Patel, 2018. "Effective Policy for Reducing Poverty and Inequality?: The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Distribution of Income," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 53(4), pages 859-890.
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    9. Anne Case & Angua Deaton, 2015. "Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century," Working Papers 15078.full.pdf, Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Research Program in Development Studies..
    10. Baughman, Reagan A., 2005. "Evaluating the Impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Health Insurance Coverage," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 58(4), pages 665-684, December.
    11. Susan Averett & Yang Wang, 2013. "The Effects Of Earned Income Tax Credit Payment Expansion On Maternal Smoking," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(11), pages 1344-1359, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Collin, Daniel F. & Shields-Zeeman, Laura S. & Batra, Akansha & White, Justin S. & Tong, Michelle & Hamad, Rita, 2021. "The effects of state earned income tax credits on mental health and health behaviors: A quasi-experimental study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    2. Simpson, Julija & Albani, Viviana & Bell, Zoe & Bambra, Clare & Brown, Heather, 2021. "Effects of social security policy reforms on mental health and inequalities: A systematic review of observational studies in high-income countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    3. Lenhart, Otto & Chakraborty, Kalyan, 2024. "Income assistance programs and population health – The dual impact of minimum wages and the earned income tax credit," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).

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