Submission Date

7-22-2022

Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Department

Business & Economics

Faculty Mentor

Jennifer VanGilder

Comments

Presented during the 24th Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 22, 2022 at Ursinus College.

Project Description

With discussions about mental health becoming more mainstream over the past few years, the question of possible economic implications of these diagnoses comes to the forefront. For many individuals, the struggles faced in the day to day with mental health could impact productivity which may lead to positive or negative outcomes. In the workforce, employees might feel intimidated by the stigma that lingers with mental health, so disclosure may not occur. By not disclosing these disorders firms are not able to create an environment where all workers can thrive. The question this research seeks to uncover is how mental health impacts economic outcomes. These impacts could be positive (increasing productivity) or negative (decreasing productivity). Previous literature about mental health and economics finds most outcomes to be negative, however this research also was conducted before society began to embrace discussions of these disorders. My research hopes to leverage this new mindset to uncover if any positive outcomes might also exist. Analyzing data from resources such as the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), the Medical Expenditure Survey (MEPS), and the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA), I will use econometric techniques to investigate how the labor market outcomes change due to different mental health conditions.

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