The Dynamics of Physical and Mental Health

23 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2016

See all articles by Julius Ohrnberger

Julius Ohrnberger

University of Manchester

Eleonora Fichera

University of Manchester

Matt Sutton

The University of Manchester

Date Written: December 9, 2015

Abstract

Mental and physical aspects are both integral to health but little is known about the dynamic relationship between them. We consider the dynamic relationship between mental and physical health using a sample of 10,339 individuals in six waves (2002-2013) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We estimate linear and non-linear random-effects regression models to identify the effects of past physical health, measured by Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and past mental health, measured by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, on both present physical and mental health. We find that both mental and physical health are moderately state-dependent and explain 0.2% of the unobserved heterogeneity in health. Worse past mental health significantly decreases present physical health (-0.036 coefficient-value). Better past physical health significantly increases present mental health (-0.266 coefficient-value). These cross-effects are non-linear and suggest that health policies aimed at specific aspects of health have to consider potential spill-over effects.

Keywords: mental health, physical health, dynamic models, cross-effects

JEL Classification: C25, C35, D01, I12, I18

Suggested Citation

Ohrnberger, Julius and Fichera, Eleonora and Sutton, Matt, The Dynamics of Physical and Mental Health (December 9, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2727256 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2727256

Julius Ohrnberger (Contact Author)

University of Manchester ( email )

Oxford Road
Manchester, N/A M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Eleonora Fichera

University of Manchester ( email )

Oxford Road
Manchester, M13 9PL
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.population-health.manchester.ac.uk/staff/EleonoraFichera/

Matt Sutton

The University of Manchester ( email )

Oxford Road
Manchester, N/A M13 9PL
United Kingdom

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