Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions

Measures of mental health are heavily relied upon to identify at-risk individuals. However, self-reported mental health metrics might be unduly affected by mis-reporting (perhaps stemming from stigma effects). In this article, we consider this phenomenon by focusing upon the mis-reporting of mental...

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Main Authors: Brown, S., Harris, Mark, Srivastava, P., Taylor, K.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: OXFORD UNIV PRESS 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP140100748
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/88781
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author Brown, S.
Harris, Mark
Srivastava, P.
Taylor, K.
author_facet Brown, S.
Harris, Mark
Srivastava, P.
Taylor, K.
author_sort Brown, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Measures of mental health are heavily relied upon to identify at-risk individuals. However, self-reported mental health metrics might be unduly affected by mis-reporting (perhaps stemming from stigma effects). In this article, we consider this phenomenon by focusing upon the mis-reporting of mental health using UK panel data from 1991 to 2018. In separate analyses of males and females, we examine how inaccurate reporting of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) measure, specifically its sub-components, can adversely affect the distribution of the index. The analysis suggests that individuals typically over report their mental health (especially so for males). The results are then used to adjust the GHQ-12 score to take mis-reporting into account. We then compare the effects of the adjusted/unadjusted GHQ-12 index when modelling a number of important economic transitions. Using the original index typically leads to an underestimate of the effect of poor mental health on transitions into improved economic states, for example, unemployment to employment.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-887812023-06-06T07:37:07Z Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions Brown, S. Harris, Mark Srivastava, P. Taylor, K. Social Sciences Economics Business & Economics C3 D1 I1 IDENTIFICATION MISCLASSIFICATION NONRESPONSE MODELS INCOME PANEL CONSUMPTION RETIREMENT DISTRESS IMPACT Measures of mental health are heavily relied upon to identify at-risk individuals. However, self-reported mental health metrics might be unduly affected by mis-reporting (perhaps stemming from stigma effects). In this article, we consider this phenomenon by focusing upon the mis-reporting of mental health using UK panel data from 1991 to 2018. In separate analyses of males and females, we examine how inaccurate reporting of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) measure, specifically its sub-components, can adversely affect the distribution of the index. The analysis suggests that individuals typically over report their mental health (especially so for males). The results are then used to adjust the GHQ-12 score to take mis-reporting into account. We then compare the effects of the adjusted/unadjusted GHQ-12 index when modelling a number of important economic transitions. Using the original index typically leads to an underestimate of the effect of poor mental health on transitions into improved economic states, for example, unemployment to employment. 2022 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/88781 10.1093/oep/gpab005 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP140100748 OXFORD UNIV PRESS fulltext
spellingShingle Social Sciences
Economics
Business & Economics
C3
D1
I1
IDENTIFICATION
MISCLASSIFICATION
NONRESPONSE
MODELS
INCOME
PANEL
CONSUMPTION
RETIREMENT
DISTRESS
IMPACT
Brown, S.
Harris, Mark
Srivastava, P.
Taylor, K.
Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
title Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
title_full Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
title_fullStr Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
title_full_unstemmed Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
title_short Mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
title_sort mental health, reporting bias and economic transitions
topic Social Sciences
Economics
Business & Economics
C3
D1
I1
IDENTIFICATION
MISCLASSIFICATION
NONRESPONSE
MODELS
INCOME
PANEL
CONSUMPTION
RETIREMENT
DISTRESS
IMPACT
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP140100748
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/88781