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Peer Gender and Mental Health

Author

Listed:
  • Getik, Demid

    (Department of Economics, Lund University)

  • Meier , Armando

    (University of Lausanne)

Abstract

Adolescent mental health is key for later well-being. Yet, causal evidence on environmental drivers of adolescent mental health is scant. We study how an important classroom feature - the gender composition in compulsory-school - affects mental health. We use Swedish administrative data (N=576,285) to link variation in gender composition across classrooms within cohorts to mental health. We find that a higher share of female peers in a classroom increases the incidence of mental health diagnoses, particularly among boys. The effect persists into adulthood. Peer composition is thus an important and persistent driver of mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Getik, Demid & Meier , Armando, 2020. "Peer Gender and Mental Health," Working Papers 2020:13, Lund University, Department of Economics, revised 24 Sep 2021.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:lunewp:2020_013
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel & Oswald, Andrew J., 2012. "Estimating the influence of life satisfaction and positive affect on later income using sibling fixed-effects," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 51523, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Brenøe, Anne Ardila & Lundberg, Shelly, 2018. "Gender gaps in the effects of childhood family environment: Do they persist into adulthood?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 42-62.
    3. Martin Salm & Daniel Schunk, 2012. "The Relationship Between Child Health, Developmental Gaps, And Parental Education: Evidence From Administrative Data," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 10(6), pages 1425-1449, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; peer effects; mental health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I19 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Other
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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