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dc.titleA Cross-Country Analysis of the Risk Factors for Depression at the Micro and Macro Level
dc.contributor.authorMelgar, Natalia
dc.contributor.authorRossi, Máximo
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageThe Caribbean
dc.coverageCentral America
dc.coverageSouth America
dc.date.available2011-02-07T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2010-09-01T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractPast research has provided evidence of the role of some personal characteristics as risk factors for depression. However, few studies have examined jointly their specific impact and whether country characteristics change the probability of being depressed. In general, this is due to the use of single-country databases. The aim of this paper is to extend previous findings by employing a much larger dataset and including the country effects mentioned above. The paper estimates probit models with country effects and explores linkages between specific environmental factors and depression using data from the 2007 Gallup Public Opinion Poll. Findings indicate that depression is positively related to being a woman, adulthood, divorce, widowhood, unemployment and low income. Moreover, there is evidence of the significant positive association between inequality and depression, especially for those living in urban areas. Finally, some populations characteristics facilitate depression (age distribution and religious affiliation).
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0010995
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/A-Cross-Country-Analysis-of-the-Risk-Factors-for-Depression-at-the-Micro-and-Macro-Level.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectHealth Care Service
dc.subject.jelcodeD01 - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
dc.subject.jelcodeI10 - Health: General
dc.subject.jelcodeI12 - Health Behavior
dc.subject.jelcodeJ18 - Public Policy
dc.subject.jelcodeZ13 - Economic Sociology • Economic Anthropology • Social and Economic Stratification
dc.subject.keywordsIDB-WP-195
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
idb.operationRG-K1096
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