Economic Analysis of Mental Health in China (Applied Economics and Policy Studies)

This book uses an economic approach to analyze the socioeconomic causes and consequences of mental health disorders in China, with a special focus on mental depression. Based on a nationally representative dataset, we first investigate the prevalence and distribution of depression and depressive symptoms among China's adult population, and then use several econometric methods to estimate the multi-dimensional disease burden of the mental disorder, such as its direct medical costs, its indirect economic costs, and its hidden costs on social trust and life satisfaction. In addition, we specifically address the socioeconomic determinants of mental health by examining how the relative and absolute economic status may determine people's mental depression. Lastly, we propose an analytical framework to evaluate the four major hurdles that cause the treatment gaps of mental health care, and discuss the policy options to overcome such hurdles and to address the unmet mental healthcare needs in China and other developing countries. The book may facilitate our understanding on the complex determinants and implications of the rising prevalence of mental health disorders in developing countries like China. In addition to the students, teachers, and researchers in the fields of health economics and public health, the book may also be of interest to health policy makers and non-government agencies who are concerned with addressing the global mental healthcare challenges using economic policy tools. Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Conceptual Framework 1.3 Contents of the Book 1.4 Other Causes of Rising Prevalence of Mental Illness in China 1.5 Policy Updates 1.6 Conclusions References 2 The Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms Among Adults in China: Estimation Based on a National Household Survey 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Data Source 2.3 Method 2.3.1 Cross-tabulation Analysis 2.3.2 Regression Analysis 2.4 Estimation Results 2.4.1 Cross-tabulation Results 2.4.2 Regression Results 2.5 Robustness Tests 2.6 Discussions 2.7 Conclusions References 3 Depression Hurts, Depression Costs: The Medical Spending Attributable to Depression and Depressive Symptoms in China 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Background and Previous Research 3.3 Data Source and Descriptive Analysis 3.4 Estimation Method 3.4.1 The Two-Part Model 3.4.2 The Four-Part Model 3.4.3 Estimating the Cost of Depression and Depressive Symptoms 3.5 Empirical Results 3.5.1 Regression Results 3.5.2 Estimating the Medical Cost of Depression and Depressive Symptoms 3.5.3 Robustness Checks 3.6 Discussions and Conclusions Appendix References 4 The Hidden Costs of Mental Depression: Implications on Social Trust and Life Satisfaction 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Research Background 4.2.1 The Rising Prevalence of Depression 4.2.2 The Role of Trust in Economic Development 4.2.3 Life Satisfaction and Well-Being 4.3 Data and Method 4.3.1 Data Source 4.3.2 Sample Descriptive Analysis 4.4 Estimation Method 4.4.1 Baseline Regression 4.4.2 Instrumental Variable (IV) Regression 4.4.3 Subsample Regression 4.5 Results 4.6 Conclusions Appendix References 5 Relative Economic Status and the Mental Health Status Among Chinese Adults: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Literature Review 5.3 Data and Methods 5.3.1 Data 5.3.2 Methods 5.4 Empirical Results 5.4.1 Sample Description 5.4.2 Regression Results 5.5 Discussions and Conclusions Appendix References 6 Understanding and Addressing the Treatment Gap in Mental Healthcare: Economic Perspectives and Evidence from China 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Conceptual Framework 6.3 Empirical Evidence from China 6.3.1 Stigma 6.3.2 Out-of-Pocket Costs of Mental Healthcare 6.3.3 Mental Healthcare Resources 6.3.4 Diffusion of New Medical Knowledge and Technology in Mental Healthcare 6.4 Policy Options for Bridging the Treatment Gap in Mental Healthcare 6.4.1 Out of the Shadow: Information Campaign for the Awareness of Mental Illnesses 6.4.2 Increasing the Public Investment in Mental Healthcare 6.4.3 Integrated People-Centered Health System 6.4.4 E-health System 6.5 Conclusions References Correction to: Economic Analysis of Mental Health in China Correction to: X. Qin and C.-R. Hsieh, Economic Analysis of Mental Health in China, Applied Economics and Policy Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4209-1