The effects of a daycare reform on health in childhood – Evidence from Sweden

Mental Health and Abortions Among Young Women: Time-Varying Unobserved Heterogeneity, Health Behaviors, and Risky Decisions

“…A unique feature of our data is the detailed records of all occurrences of in-patient and out-patient care for all inhabitants of the region. The registers have previously been used by Tertilt and van den Berg (2015), Nilsson and Paul (2018) and van den Berg and Siflinger (2022). The health care registers are collected to determine the monetary streams from the region to the health care centers and hospitals.…”

“…Beyond being an end in itself, improved mental well-being is vital for education and labor market trajectories, which are especially important for adolescents (Biasi et al, 2021;Cuddy and Currie, 2020). Moreover, mental health problems tend to be very pervasive and are often first diagnosed in early adulthood (see Eaton et al, 2008).…”

“…Instead, interventions could target high-risk women at younger ages, using tools similar to Alan and Ertac (2018) to reduce self-control problems and the likelihood to develop severe mental illnesses. 8 By doing so, one may keep direct medical costs low and reduce indirect costs of mental health disorders such as lower educational attainment and fewer earnings (Biasi et al, 2021;Currie et al, 2010;Fletcher, 2010).…”

Building Health across Generations: Unraveling the Impact of Early Childcare on Maternal Health

“…Family policies such as the provision of public formal childcare for children under six have played a pivotal role in enabling this transition (e.g., Havnes & Mogstad, 2011a, Lefebvre & Merrigan, 2008. In addition to labour market outcomes, previous literature concerning the effects of public formal childcare also focuses on child outcomes (e.g., Baker et al, 2019, Berlinski et al, 2009, Datta Gupta & Simonsen, 2010, Felfe et al, 2015, van den Berg & Siflinger, 2022, and fertility (e.g., Bauernschuster et al, 2016). However, the availability of public childcare may affect not only child outcomes and parental -especially maternal-decisions on labour supply and family size but also their health, which has received little attention in the economic literature despite its relevance within the family context (Baker et al, 2008, Haeck et al, 2022, Herbst & Tekin, 2014.…”

“…First, we contribute to the literature on the impact of family policies, more precisely childcare policies, on (parental) health. There is a large field of literature assessing the effects of various family policies, including parental leave (e.g., Danzer et al, 2022, Danzer & Lavy, 2018, informal care (e.g., Barschkett et al, 2021, del Boca et al, 2018, and formal childcare (e.g., Baker et al, 2008, Barschkett, 2022, Bosque-Mercader, 2022, Cattan et al, 2021, van den Berg & Siflinger, 2022 on various child outcomes, including health. Much less is known about the effects of such reforms on parents, beyond labour supply (e.g., Ginja et al, 2020, Huber & Rolvering, 2023, Müller & Wrohlich, 2020 and fertility (e.g., Bauernschuster et al, 2016, Lalive & Zweimüller, 2009.…”