Titre
The long-run effect of maternity leave benefits on mental health: evidence from European countries.
Type
article
Institution
Externe
Périodique
Auteur(s)
Avendano, M.
Auteure/Auteur
Berkman, L.F.
Auteure/Auteur
Brugiavini, A.
Auteure/Auteur
Pasini, G.
Auteure/Auteur
Liens vers les personnes
ISSN
1873-5347
Statut éditorial
Publié
Date de publication
2015-05
Volume
132
Première page
45
Dernière page/numéro d’article
53
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Langue
anglais
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Publication Status: ppublish
Résumé
This paper examines whether maternity leave policies have an effect on women's mental health in older age. We link data for women aged 50 years and above from countries in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to data on maternity leave legislation from 1960 onwards. We use a difference-in-differences approach that exploits changes over time within countries in the duration and compensation of maternity leave benefits, linked to the year women were giving birth to their first child at age 16 to 25. We compare late-life depressive symptom scores (measured with a 12-item version of the Euro-D scale) of mothers who were in employment in the period around the birth of their first child to depression scores of mothers who were not in employment in the period surrounding the birth of a first child, and therefore did not benefit directly from maternity leave benefits. Our findings suggest that a more generous maternity leave during the birth of a first child is associated with a reduced score of 0.38 points in the Euro-D depressive symptom scale in old age.
PID Serval
serval:BIB_F5D61DED8EB1
PMID
URL éditeur
Date de création
2021-10-18T12:59:19.533Z
Date de création dans IRIS
2025-05-21T06:05:30Z