Working Paper Series,
Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research

Abstract: We analyze whether field of study assigned at age 16 impacts mental health in adulthood. Using a regression discontinuity design that exploits GPA cut-offs, we find that admission to the preferred study field improves mental health, lowering both the incidence of antidepressant prescriptions and of mental health-related hospitalizations. Engineering contributes strongly but not uniquely to the positive results. As for mechanisms, earnings explain 40% of the estimates, but earlier proposed hypotheses based on school-age peer characteristics have little explanatory power. Our findings imply that restrictions on individuals’ choices, to improve human capital allocations, entail costs that may have been underestimated.

Keywords: field of study; health; secondary education

JEL-codes: I10; I21; I24; J24; J28; J32

Language: English

80 pages, February 21, 2024

Full text files

FULLTEXT01.pdf  Full text

Download statistics

• Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research
• Ordering Working Papers
• Home page for this series

Questions (including download problems) about the papers in this series should be directed to Daniel Rossetti ()
Report other problems with accessing this service to Sune Karlsson ().

This page generated on 2024-03-06 13:33:44.