Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Lukas Kiessling
Author-Name-First: Lukas
Author-Name-Last: Kiessling
Author-Email: lkiessling@coll.mpg.de
Author-Workplace-Name: Institute for Research on Collective Goods
Author-Name: Jonathan Norris
Author-Name-First: Jonathan
Author-Name-Last: Norris
Author-Email: jonathan.norris@strath.ac.uk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde
Title: The long-run effects of peers on mental health
Abstract: This paper studies how peers in school affect students’ mental health. Guided by a theoretical framework, we find that increasing students’ relative ranks in their cohorts by one standard deviation improves their mental health by 6% of a standard deviation conditional on own ability. These effects are more pronounced for low-ability students, persistent for at least 14 years, and carry over to economic long-run outcomes. Moreover, we document a strong asymmetry: Students who receive negative rather than positive shocks react more strongly. Our findings therefore provide evidence on how the school environment can have long-lasting consequences for the well-being of individuals.
Length: 70 pages
Creation-Date: 2020-06
Revision-Date: 
Publication-Status: Published
File-URL: https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/1newwebsite/departmentsubject/economics/research/researchdiscussionpapers/20-06_-_Jonathan_Norris_and_Lukas_Kiessling.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
Number: 2006
Classification-JEL: I21, I14, J24
Keywords: Peer Effects, Mental Health, Depression, Rank Effects
Handle: RePEc:str:wpaper:2006