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Antidepressants and age : a new form of evidence for U-shaped well-being through life
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Blanchflower, David G. and Oswald, Andrew J. (2016) Antidepressants and age : a new form of evidence for U-shaped well-being through life. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 127 . pp. 46-58. doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2016.04.010
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2016.04.010
Abstract
A growing literature argues that mental well-being follows an approximate U-shape through life. Yet in the eyes of some scholars this evidence remains controversial. The reason is that it relies on people's answers to 'happiness' surveys. The present paper explores a different approach. It examines modern data on the use of antidepressant pills (as an implicit signal of mental distress) in 27 European nations. The regression-adjusted probability of using antidepressants reaches a peak in people's late 40s. This pattern – one that does not rely on well-being survey answers – is thus consistent with the claim that human beings experience a midlife low.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics | ||||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Antidepressants, Midlife crisis, Happiness -- Testing | ||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization | ||||||||||
Publisher: | Elsevier BV * North-Holland | ||||||||||
ISSN: | 0167-2681 | ||||||||||
Official Date: | July 2016 | ||||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 127 | ||||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 46-58 | ||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jebo.2016.04.010 | ||||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||||
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