Family Ruptures, Stress, and the Mental Health of the Next Generation: Comment
American Economic Review · 2018 · Volume 108 · Issue 4-5
Abstract
The empirical methodology used by Persson and Rossin-Slater (2018) to estimate the causal effect of in utero exposure to stress contains a potentially significant flaw. They define the control group in a way that may bias their causal estimates and can lead to the finding of a significant relationship when there is none. In this note, I describe the source of the bias and suggest an alternative specification of the control group.
Keywords
Health Behavior, Marriage, Marital Dissolution, Family Structure, Domestic Abuse, Fertility, Family Planning, Child Care, Children, Youth
Enable JavaScript for citation tools and additional paper interactions.