The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64790

Timothy T. Brown, PhD and Xiaohui Hou, MHPA. Petris Center - School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2150 Shattuck Ave, Suite 525, Berkeley, CA 94720-7380, 510-643-4103, tbpetris@uclink.berkeley.edu

Child mental health is significantly influenced by parental treatment during the years of child development. Since parents must make choices regarding how their children are raised, the concept of their demand for the behavioral health of their children is a relevant one. Just as different parents have varying demands regarding their children’s educational level, different parents may have varying demands regarding their children’s behavioral health. Other things equal, as the price of their children’s behavioral health rises (including the price of each parent’s time), parents will tend to demand less of it. Similarly, as parental income rises, other things equal, parents will tend to demand more behavioral health for their children. In addition, since past research has shown that the wages of the mother have a disproportionate impact on the physical health of a child relative to the father’s wages, this is likely to hold as well for the behavioral health of a child. This question is addressed by estimating a demand for mental health function. The data set used is the Panel Study on Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. Behavioral health is measured using the Behavior Problems Index, a reliable and valid measure. Variables included in the demand for mental health function are the wages of each parent, the nonwage income of each parent, a local cost-of-living price index, family size, and demographic information about each parent. Information on the child’s physical health status is included. All endogenous variables are instrumented using lagged values to avoid biased estimates.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• Identify the componenets of a demand for mental health function.
• Articulate the importance of parental incentives in the development of childhood behavior disorders.
• Discuss the impact of the mother's wage relative to the father's wage in the development of childhood behavior disorders.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.