Seminar - Prenatal Conditions and Midlife Mental Health: Evidence from an Alcohol Policy Experiment

The Lausanne Center for Health Economics, Behavior, and Policy (LCHE) regularly organizes seminars about Health Economics. More details on www.lche.ch.

Topic of the Seminar

Prenatal Conditions and Midlife Mental Health: Evidence from an Alcohol Policy Experiment

We estimate the long-term mental health impact of an alcohol policy experiment on individuals exposed to the policy in utero. 

The policy lasted for 8.5 months and significantly expanded access to alcohol, especially for those under age 21. 

Using administrative data on healthcare visits, drug prescriptions, and psychological assessments, we show that prenatal policy exposure had a substantial, early, and persistent impact on the mental health of the children of young mothers. The exposed cohorts conceived just before the policy started are 16% more likely to be diagnosed with any mental condition in midlife. 

We find effects on common midlife conditions such as depression and anxiety, on the ability to cope with psychologically stressful situations at age 18, and on neurodevelopmental disorders that manifest in early childhood. 

The impact of the policy on midlife earnings is significantly lower among individuals with predicted mental health care needs who reside in areas with lower barriers to accessing mental health care. Overall, our findings indicate that policies increasing access to mental health treatments could substantially improve labor market outcomes, even for conditions with early-life origins

Speaker

• Prof. J. Peter Nilsson, Stockholm University

J. Peter Nilsson is a Professor of Economics at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University. His research focuses on labour, health and environmental economics. Before joining the IIES, he was a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University and is affiliated with  IFAU, CESifo, and CEPR.

Practical information

• Free admission
• No need to register
• This seminar is given in English
• This conference is possible on WebEx or on site at Unisanté New building Valine  (Vennes)

About LCHE

The Lausanne Center for Health Economics, Behavior, and Policy (LCHE) at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) promotes research, teaching, and policy advice in the fields of health economics, behavior, and policy.

The interdisciplinary center brings together researchers of the Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), the Faculty of Biology and Medicine (CHUV-FBM), and the Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC).