Prescriptions for mental health and the labor market penalties of cerebral palsy
Asuman, Derek LU
; Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey
and Jarl, Johan
LU
(2026)
In Economics and Human Biology
61.
- Abstract
We explore mental health as a potential mechanism to explain the labor market penalty of an early-onset physical disability using administrative data from Sweden. For methodological reasons, we focus on persons with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and use prescriptions for mental health conditions. We examine how much of the differences in labor market outcomes is explained by prescriptions for mental health conditions and whether the mental health gradient differs between persons with and without CP. Finally, we assess whether the social insurance system compensates for potential lost earnings due to mental health through access to social benefits. We find that prescriptions for mental health conditions explain only a small part of the labor... (More)
We explore mental health as a potential mechanism to explain the labor market penalty of an early-onset physical disability using administrative data from Sweden. For methodological reasons, we focus on persons with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and use prescriptions for mental health conditions. We examine how much of the differences in labor market outcomes is explained by prescriptions for mental health conditions and whether the mental health gradient differs between persons with and without CP. Finally, we assess whether the social insurance system compensates for potential lost earnings due to mental health through access to social benefits. We find that prescriptions for mental health conditions explain only a small part of the labor market penalties of CP. While mental health may impose additional employment penalties, labor market benefits exist for the treatment of mental health conditions among persons with CP. Furthermore, we find that the social insurance system partially compensates for the earnings penalties of CP through access to social benefits. Our results underscore the importance of understanding the interactions between mental health and labor market outcomes of persons with motor disabilities.
(Less)
- author
- Asuman, Derek
LU
; Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey
and Jarl, Johan
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Anxiety, Cerebral palsy, Depression, Disability, Earnings, Employment, Labor outcomes, Mental health, Sweden
- in
- Economics and Human Biology
- volume
- 61
- article number
- 101592
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105033261160
- pmid:41861571
- ISSN
- 1570-677X
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ehb.2026.101592
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 1342ac28-2bb1-4641-ab7a-02879cf5a8c7
- date added to LUP
- 2026-04-17 14:15:53
- date last changed
- 2026-05-29 18:53:01
@article{1342ac28-2bb1-4641-ab7a-02879cf5a8c7,
abstract = {{<p>We explore mental health as a potential mechanism to explain the labor market penalty of an early-onset physical disability using administrative data from Sweden. For methodological reasons, we focus on persons with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and use prescriptions for mental health conditions. We examine how much of the differences in labor market outcomes is explained by prescriptions for mental health conditions and whether the mental health gradient differs between persons with and without CP. Finally, we assess whether the social insurance system compensates for potential lost earnings due to mental health through access to social benefits. We find that prescriptions for mental health conditions explain only a small part of the labor market penalties of CP. While mental health may impose additional employment penalties, labor market benefits exist for the treatment of mental health conditions among persons with CP. Furthermore, we find that the social insurance system partially compensates for the earnings penalties of CP through access to social benefits. Our results underscore the importance of understanding the interactions between mental health and labor market outcomes of persons with motor disabilities.</p>}},
author = {{Asuman, Derek and Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey and Jarl, Johan}},
issn = {{1570-677X}},
keywords = {{Anxiety; Cerebral palsy; Depression; Disability; Earnings; Employment; Labor outcomes; Mental health; Sweden}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Economics and Human Biology}},
title = {{Prescriptions for mental health and the labor market penalties of cerebral palsy}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2026.101592}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.ehb.2026.101592}},
volume = {{61}},
year = {{2026}},
}