Quasi-experimental evidence on the causal effects of physical health on mental health

摘要

Background While a large body of literature has demonstrated an association between physical health problems and psychiatric ones, the extent to which one is causally linked to the other remains difficult to estimate. This quasi-experimental study seeks to (i) estimate causal effects of an acute negative health event (health shock) on mental health and (ii) examine the role of debt and disability as potential mediators.