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We study the effect of a 12-week maternity leave extension in Chile on the health of infants between 6 and 12 months old. Using unique administrative sick leave data for working women enrolled in the private health insurance system who gave birth between 2011 and 2013, we estimate the effect of this extension on the number of paid sick days taken by the mother due to her child being ill. We find that extending maternity leave improved infant health and decreased the number of sick days by 6.43 (0.18 SD) days on average. Additionally, we show that mothers with extended maternity leave take their infant to the pediatrician less often than mothers without the extended leave. Our results are consistent with a decrease in daycare attendance, which decreases exposure to communicable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the causal impact of jail mental health needs scores, assigned by clinicians, on youth and adult outcomes. Utilizing an instrumental variable (IV) approach leveraging quasi-random assignment of intake clinicians, we find that worse scores increase incarceration duration and suicide attempts in both groups and recidivism in adults. For the marginal person, worse scores may lead to consequences like prolonged jail stays, which counteract potential benefits. We discuss possible mechanisms, including the existence of a mental health docket for misdemeanors, and effects of scores on bond posting, mental health care, type of housing within the jail, and length of stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effect of in-person schooling on youth suicide in the United States. We show that youth suicide rates historically declined during summers and rose again earlier in counties with an August school starting date. We document a departure from this pattern at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: youth suicides fell 25 percent in March 2020, when schools closed, and remained low throughout summer. Leveraging county variation in the timing of reopening, we find that returning to in-person instruction increased youth suicides by 12–18 percent. Analysis of Google search data suggests that bullying is a likely mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how the societal disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted diagnosis of a prevalent childhood mental health condition, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using both nationwide private health insurance claims and a single state's comprehensive electronic health records, we compare children exposed to the pandemic to same-aged children prior to the pandemic. We find the pandemic reduced new ADHD diagnoses by 8.6 percent among boys and 11.0 percent among girls nationwide through February 2021. We further show that higher levels of in-person schooling in fall 2020 dampened the decline for girls but had no moderating effect for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the costs associated with domestic violence (DV) in Norway by comparing outcomes before and after a DV report, using those who will be victimized in the future as controls. A DV report is associated with increased mental health diagnoses for both victims and their children and reduced financial resources. Victims experience marital dissolution, more doctor visits, lower employment, reduced earnings, and higher use of disability insurance. Their children are more likely to receive child protective services and commit a crime. Using a complementary regression discontinuity (RD) design, we find declines in children's test scores and grade completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate health associations across generations using information on healthcare visits from administrative data for the entire Norwegian population. A parental mental health diagnosis is associated with a 9.3 percentage point (40 percent) higher probability of a mental health diagnosis of their adolescent child. Intensive margin physical and mental health associations are similar, and extended family estimates account for 42 percent of the intergenerational persistence. We also show that a policy targeting additional health resources for the young children of adults diagnosed with mental health conditions reduced the parent–child mental health association by 39 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the Journal of Human Resources, examines the economics of child mental health, with a particular focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the increasing recognition of mental health issues in children and their influence on educational and labor market outcomes. The article explores the effectiveness of individual medical treatments for child mental health problems and raises questions about the causes of these issues, intergenerational correlations, the role of schools, and potential interventions. Several research papers are discussed, covering topics such as the intergenerational correlation of mental health problems, the effects of domestic violence, the impact of the pandemic on ADHD diagnoses, school-based mental health services, and interventions in developing countries. These studies contribute to our understanding of child mental health economics and highlight the need for further research and interventions in this field. [Extracted from the article]

Tens of millions of people in the world are incarcerated, which may negatively affect them and their families. Visitation may mitigate the negative consequences, but there is little causally identified evidence on its efficacy. To generate plausibly causal estimates, we utilize the fact that incarcerated persons in Denmark are assigned to the prison with open capacity that is closest to their home. The distance-driven variation in visitation coupled with Danish registry data allow us to measure the effects of visitation on incarcerated persons and their families. We find little evidence that visitation affects incarcerated individuals or their family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether lead arrangers opportunistically withhold their private information from participant lenders and how this behavior affects the structure of loan syndicates. Using the setting of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections and the exogenous shock to the inspection disclosure regime with the passage of the Open Government Initiative (OGI), we show that, following bad inspection outcomes, lead arrangers retain a larger loan share in the post-OGI period, when inspection outcomes are publicly disclosed by the FDA, compared to in the pre-OGI period, when there is no public disclosure. We also find that during the pre-OGI period, lead arrangers retain a lower loan share when a loan is issued following bad inspection outcomes compared to clean inspection outcomes. This effect is stronger when lead arrangers are more likely to be informed (as measured by their prior experience submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the FDA and a higher inspection materiality) and when syndicate participants are less likely to be informed (as measured by their lack of prior FDA FOIA requests and lead arranger experience, and by the lack of borrowers' voluntary disclosure of inspection outcomes). Our findings of the deterioration in borrowers' performance following bad inspection outcomes and lead arrangers' reputational losses in the post-OGI period further indicate lead arrangers' opportunistic behavior. Overall, our results provide robust evidence that lead arrangers exploit their informational advantage at the expense of participant lenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the efficacy of national emergency response policies in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and their interactions with cultural and political factors. Employing the synthetic control method, we analyze data from countries on five continents that implemented such policies in early 2020. Our results indicate the overall effectiveness of these policies in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 yet reveal significant variability in their outcomes among countries. Notably, we identify a negative association between policy effectiveness and a culture characterized by individualism. Additionally, we observe that the impact of COVID-19 response measures is more prominent in countries with lower levels of democracy. These findings offer valuable insights into the intricate interplay between COVID-19 response policies, cultural dynamics, and political regimes, with potential implications for future policy decisions and research endeavors.

China faces a healthcare challenge due to its aging population, necessitating an integrated old-age healthcare system considering multiple stakeholders' interests. Conflict and inequality may arise from varying stakeholder interests. This study develops a conflict resolution strategy for the coordination of stakeholders involved in the old-age healthcare service system, promoting harmonization and minimizing conflict to establish an equitable system meeting elderly needs. It contributes to a robust healthcare system for comprehensive, quality care. The focus of the study is to identify relevant stakeholders and decision-makers involved in developing an integrated old-age healthcare service system and explore a feasible solution through stakeholder analysis using the Mitchell score-based technique and stakeholder theory. Decision-makers' preferences are estimated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Solution strategies are developed through multiple stability concepts within the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR). The conflict resolution analysis based on the integrated AHP-GMCR approach reveals that the development of an integrated old-age healthcare system is feasible by addressing potential conflicts among the stakeholders. Considering the current predicament of comprehensive medical services in China, governments should distribute authority, simplify procedures, and improve the insurance system. Furthermore, medical institutions should explore funding options, expand services, and enhance accessibility. Elderly individuals should prioritize healthy aging and seek suitable healthcare providers. Stakeholder participation is crucial for effective implementation. These recommendations enable China to advance integrated elderly care successfully, addressing challenges posed by the aging population.

The aim of the paper is to present the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland and measures undertaken in order to prevent the spread of the disease and mitigate its results. The specific objective concerns evaluation of anti-crisis measures enacted during the pandemic in Poland.

One of the most recent global aims is to increase life expectancy since healthy people are seen as human capital that may boost the economy. The study investigates the role of governance in the globalisation-life expectancy nexus using 39 African countries between 1996 and 2019.

ABSTRACTThe revolution in the organization of work, induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, has had, and will have, some long-lasting consequences on how jobs will be performed, affecting adult life well-being. What we know so far about the determinant of satisfaction for work–life balance may not be valid anymore considering this sudden revolution in work organization. This paper presents an empirical analysis based on a cross-sectional survey of 803 workers in October 2020. Results suggest that the profile that benefits the most from the revolution in work organization is represented by a male, married, public sector worker working remotely and not living in the southern part of Italy.