CHE Seminar Series: The Effects of Commuting and Working From Home Arrangements on Mental Health
In this study, we quantify the causal effects of commuting time and working from home (WFH) arrangements on the mental health of Australian men and women. Leveraging rich panel-data models, we first show that adverse effects of commuting time manifest only among men. These are concentrated among individuals with pre-existing mental health issues, and they are modest in magnitude. Second, we show that WFH arrangements have large positive effects on women’s mental health, provided that the WFH component is large enough. The effects are once again concentrated among individuals with pre-existing mental health issues. This effect specificity is novel and extends beyond Australia: we show that it also underlies the adverse effects of commuting time on the mental health of British women. Our findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions and support for individuals who are dealing with mental health problems.
Speaker profile
Dr. Jan Kabatek is a senior research fellow at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. He is also a fellow of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children & Families over the Life Course, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Netspar, and Tilburg University. Jan’s research interests cover the topics of labor, family, gender, health and ageing. Leveraging his expert knowledge of population-level administrative datasets, Jan has established a broad research portfolio that explores the concepts of marital stability, sexual orientation, mental health, and retirement timing (among others). His findings have been published in leading economics and interdisciplinary journals, and have received extensive media and policy coverage.
Weekly seminar series
As part of our Centre's vibrant research culture, we host a weekly seminar series. Visiting and invited researchers present current research relating to the economics of health and wellbeing, and the healthcare sector. Visitors are welcome to join these sessions where discussion and debate is encouraged.
For further information on our seminar series, please contact shannon.stanwell@monash.edu.
Event Details
- Date:
- 17 April 2024 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Venue:
- Caulfield campus, Building H, Level 9, Room H9.14
- Categories:
- CHE Seminar; Health Economics
Description
In this study, we quantify the causal effects of commuting time and working from home (WFH) arrangements on the mental health of Australian men and women. Leveraging rich panel-data models, we first show that adverse effects of commuting time manifest only among men. These are concentrated among individuals with pre-existing mental health issues, and they are modest in magnitude. Second, we show that WFH arrangements have large positive effects on women’s mental health, provided that the WFH component is large enough. The effects are once again concentrated among individuals with pre-existing mental health issues. This effect specificity is novel and extends beyond Australia: we show that it also underlies the adverse effects of commuting time on the mental health of British women. Our findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions and support for individuals who are dealing with mental health problems.
Speaker profile
Dr. Jan Kabatek is a senior research fellow at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. He is also a fellow of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children & Families over the Life Course, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Netspar, and Tilburg University. Jan’s research interests cover the topics of labor, family, gender, health and ageing. Leveraging his expert knowledge of population-level administrative datasets, Jan has established a broad research portfolio that explores the concepts of marital stability, sexual orientation, mental health, and retirement timing (among others). His findings have been published in leading economics and interdisciplinary journals, and have received extensive media and policy coverage.
Weekly seminar series
As part of our Centre's vibrant research culture, we host a weekly seminar series. Visiting and invited researchers present current research relating to the economics of health and wellbeing, and the healthcare sector. Visitors are welcome to join these sessions where discussion and debate is encouraged.
For further information on our seminar series, please contact shannon.stanwell@monash.edu.