Child Human Capital Spillovers from Adult Mental Healthcare
Depression symptoms among adults reduce productivity and lower an individual's willingness to invest in their children's development. Treating adult depression can generate positive intergenerational spillovers that enhance educational engagement for adolescent children.
Picture this
When a house captain recovers their energy and clarity, they naturally spend more time organizing household chores and supporting the younger family members with their schoolwork and routines.
What the evidence says
Psychiatric Care for depressed adults increased the child human capital investment index for children older than twelve by 0.44 standard deviations compared to the comparison group post-program, whereas impacts on children under twelve were statistically insignificant.
- Who
- Households of N = 1,000 depressed adults (86 percent women) recruited from 506 villages near Bangalore, India [3, 4].
- How
- Randomized evaluation measuring a child human capital investment index comprising school enrollment, attendance, homework time, and labor participation at 16 and 26 months post-recruitment [6, 10].
What to do
Incorporate tracking of adolescent school attendance and homework support into adult depression treatment programs to capture intergenerational human capital benefits.
From the source
"Children in households where participants received the PC intervention had a human capital investment index that was 0.44 standard deviations (SD) higher than in the comparison group after the program ended."
The_Impacts_of_Mental_Health_Treatment_on_Productivity_in_India.pdf