Journal article
Labor market status and depression in Russia: a longitudinal study, 2011-2017
- Abstract:
-
Aims:
This is the first longitudinal study to examine the relationship between depression and the labour market in Russia. Using data from 2011 to 2017, we identify the impact that not being in employment has on mental distress, and we explore the mechanism underlying the observed association.Methods:
Using data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey – Higher School of Economics, we employ random-effects regression models to estimate the impact of employment conditions on the likelihood of reporting mental distress in Russia. This method allows us to distinguish between the selection effect associated with mental distress and direct causation.Results:
Controlling for a range of socio-economic and demographic characteristics, we find that unemployment and labour market inactivity are strong predictors of the likelihood of reporting depression and serious nervous breakdown. However, we find that rather than negative labour market events giving rise to mental distress, the selection effect actually dominates, and the direction of causality therefore operates in reverse.Conclusions:
Knowledge of the underlying mechanism that links unfavourable labour market outcomes with mental distress is crucial for designing policies that can address this link. We argue that our findings provide grounds for the initiation of anti-stigma campaigns among employers, policymakers, health practitioners and politicians as well as the general population. Eradication of the perception that mental disorders are somehow different to ‘real’ illnesses will not only prevent Russians from self-selection into unemployment but may also transform outdated approaches to mental health care in Russia.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 1.6MB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1177/14034948211026784
Authors
- Publisher:
- SAGE Publications
- Journal:
- Scandinavian Journal of Public Health More from this journal
- Volume:
- 51
- Issue:
- 7
- Pages:
- 1077-1085
- Publication date:
- 2021-07-02
- Acceptance date:
- 2021-05-31
- DOI:
- EISSN:
-
1651-1905
- ISSN:
-
1403-4948
- Language:
-
English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
1180295
- Local pid:
-
pubs:1180295
- Deposit date:
-
2021-06-03
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Kaneva and Gerry
- Copyright date:
- 2021
- Rights statement:
- © Author(s) 2021.
- Notes:
- This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from SAGE Publications at: https://doi.org/10.1177/14034948211026784
If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record