Mental Health Patterns and Consequences : Results from Survey Data in Five Developing Countries

The social and economic consequences of poor mental health in the developing world are presumed to be significant, yet are largely under-researched. The authors argue that mental health modules can be meaningfully added to multi-purpose household surveys in developing countries, and used to investigate this relationship. Data from nationally representative surveys in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, and Mexico, along with special surveys from India and Tonga, show similar patterns of association between mental health and socioeconomic characteristics across countries. Individuals who are older, female, widowed, and report poor physical health are more likely to report worse mental health outcomes. Individuals living with others with poor mental health are also significantly more likely to report worse mental health themselves. In contrast, there is little observed relationship between mental health and poverty or education, common measures of socio-economic status. The results instead suggest that economic and multi-dimensional shocks such as illness or crisis can have a greater impact on mental health than overall levels of poverty. This may have important implications for social protection policy. The authors also find significant associations between poor mental health and lowered labor force participation (especially for women) and higher frequency visits to health centers, suggesting that poor mental health can have significant economic consequences for households and the health system. Finally, the paper discusses how measures of mental health are distinct from general subjective welfare measures such as happiness and indicate useful directions of future research.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Das, Jishnu, Do, Quy-Toan, Friedman, Jed, McKenzie, David
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2008-01
Subjects:	ABORTIONS, ADD, AFFECTIVE DISORDERS, AGED, ANXIETY, ANXIETY DISORDERS, BIPOLAR DISORDER, CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICS, COMMON MENTAL DISORDER, COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS, COMMUNITY HEALTH, CONTAGION, DEPRESSION, DEPRESSION SCALE, DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, DIABETES, DIAGNOSES, DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEW, DISABILITY, DISASTERS, DISEASE, DISEASE OF POVERTY, DOCTOR, EPIDEMIC, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES, EPIDEMIOLOGY, EXERCISES, EXPENDITURES, FEMALE, FEMALES, GENDER, GENDER DIFFERENCE, GENDER DIFFERENCES, GENDERS, GENERAL PRACTICE, GENERAL PSYCHIATRY, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, HEALTH CARE MARKETS, HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH CLINICS, HEALTH FACILITIES, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, HEALTH ORGANIZATION, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH SCREENING, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH STATUS, HEALTH SURVEYS, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOR, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, INCOME, INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS, JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY, LIFE EVENTS, LIFETIME PREVALENCE, MAJOR DEPRESSION, MALARIA, MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSION, MATERNAL DEPRESSION, MEDICAL CARE, MEDICINE, MENTAL, MENTAL DISORDER, MENTAL DISORDERS, MENTAL DISTRESS, MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS, MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, MENTAL HEALTH STATUS, MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY, MENTAL HEALTH SURVEYS, MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, MENTAL ILLNESS, MENTAL WELL BEING, MENTAL WELL-BEING, MENTALLY ILL, MENTALLY ILL PERSON, MIGRATION, MISCARRIAGES, MORBIDITY, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, OUTPATIENT TREATMENT, PATIENTS, PATIENTS PRESENT, PERSONALITY, PHYSICAL HEALTH, PHYSICIANS, PREGNANCIES, PREVALENCE, PRIMARY CARE, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, PROBABILITY, PSYCHIATRIC CASES, PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS, PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES, PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS, PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES, PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY, PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY, PSYCHOLOGISTS, PSYCHOLOGY, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, REFUGEES, SCHIZOPHRENIA, SCREENING, SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS, SEX, SMOKING, SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY, SOCIAL SCIENCE, SOMATIC COMPLAINTS, SOMATIC SYMPTOM, STD, SYMPTOM, SYMPTOMS, TRAUMA, TREATMENT, TUBERCULOSIS, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNIPOLAR DEPRESSIVE,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/01/8989413/mental-health-patterns-consequences-results-survey-data-five-developing-countries-vol-1of-1 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6376
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