Will a shrink make you richer? Gender differences in the effects of psychotherapy on labour efficiency

Abstract

This paper provides a …rst theoretical and empirical analysis of the e¤ects of psychotherapy on individual productivity. We build a simple model in which a deterioration of mental health endogenously causes a decrease in productivity, which is counterbalanced by psychotherapy. We test our hypotheses on the British Household Panel Survey data. We …nd that individuals su¤ering from mental health problems bene…t economically from consulting a psychotherapist. Moreover, we …nd that the returns are higher for men than for women, even though women are more likely to seek help.

Advancing the economics of gender: New insights and a roadmap for the future

“…Besides education, work, careers, fertility and marital decisions, biological and psychological traits, and preferences, another context in which gender differential are likely to emerge is mental health. This domain, which is related to the previously mentioned work by Guner and colleagues, is the focus of the study by Cozzi, Galli, and Mantovan (2018). This is the first paper to provide a theoretical and empirical analysis of the…”

Gender differences in factors that facilitate successful therapeutic progress and outcome: A pilot study

“…However, women are more likely to seek help for emotional validation and to gain insight into their difficulties. Hence, the primary focus when working with women in therapy should be to enhance their self‐awareness and provide them with insight (Cozzi et al, 2018).…”