Young people with low education have worse health than those with higher education. This blog will examine the extent to which employment and income reduced the adverse effects on low education on mental health among people aged 20-35 years old.
The methods that were used to analyze and estimate the total casual effect (TCE) of low education on mental health and to decompose the effect into the natural direct effect (NDE) and the natural indirect effect (NIE) through two mediators examined; employment and income. Three waves of the Household Dynamics of Australia (HILDA: Note…I discussed this in an earlier blog but this point goes further). Among those who were employed aged 20-to 35 years this was the matter. A further analysis examined the job characteristics as mediator of the relationship between low education and mental health.
The TCE of low education on the MHI-5 (Mental Health Inventory) was 3.61. The NIE through labor force status and occupational skill level was -1.09 and -1.49 through both labor force status/occupational skill level and income, corresponding to a percentage mediated of 41%. Among the employed, education had a much smaller effect on the MIH.
Improving employment opportunities could reduce nearly half of the adverse effects of low education on the mental health of young people.
Leave a Reply