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A prescription for unemployment? Recessions and the demand for mental health drugs.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bradford, WD; Lastrapes, WD
Published in: Health Econ
November 2014

We estimate the relationship between mental health drug prescriptions and the level of labor market activity in the USA. Based on monthly data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey of physicians and aggregated by US census regions, we find that the number of mental health drug prescriptions (those aimed at alleviating depression and anxiety) rises by about 10% when employment falls by 1% and when unemployment rises by 100 basis points, but only for patients in the Northeast region. This paper is one of the first to look at compensatory health behavior in response to the business cycle.

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Published In

Health Econ

DOI

EISSN

1099-1050

Publication Date

November 2014

Volume

23

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1301 / 1325

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Unemployment
  • Regression Analysis
  • Humans
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Health Policy & Services
  • Economic Recession
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Antidepressive Agents
 

Citation

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Bradford, W. D., & Lastrapes, W. D. (2014). A prescription for unemployment? Recessions and the demand for mental health drugs. Health Econ, 23(11), 1301–1325. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.2983
Bradford, W David, and William D. Lastrapes. “A prescription for unemployment? Recessions and the demand for mental health drugs.Health Econ 23, no. 11 (November 2014): 1301–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.2983.
Bradford WD, Lastrapes WD. A prescription for unemployment? Recessions and the demand for mental health drugs. Health Econ. 2014 Nov;23(11):1301–25.
Bradford, W. David, and William D. Lastrapes. “A prescription for unemployment? Recessions and the demand for mental health drugs.Health Econ, vol. 23, no. 11, Nov. 2014, pp. 1301–25. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/hec.2983.
Bradford WD, Lastrapes WD. A prescription for unemployment? Recessions and the demand for mental health drugs. Health Econ. 2014 Nov;23(11):1301–1325.
Journal cover image

Published In

Health Econ

DOI

EISSN

1099-1050

Publication Date

November 2014

Volume

23

Issue

11

Start / End Page

1301 / 1325

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Unemployment
  • Regression Analysis
  • Humans
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Health Policy & Services
  • Economic Recession
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Antidepressive Agents