Publication:
Migration and Mental Health : Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorStillman, Steven
dc.contributor.authorMcKenzie, David
dc.contributor.authorGibson, John
dc.date.accessioned2012-06-05T20:19:15Z
dc.date.available2012-06-05T20:19:15Z
dc.date.issued2007-02
dc.description.abstractPeople migrate to improve their well-being, whether through an expansion of economic and social opportunities or a reduction in persecution. Yet a large literature suggests that migration can be a stressful process, with potentially negative impacts on mental health, reducing the net benefits of migration. However, to truly understand the effect of migration on mental health one must compare the mental health of migrants to what their mental health would have been had they stayed in their home country. The existing literature is not able to do this and typically settles for comparing the mental health of migrants to that of natives in the destination country, which takes no account of any pre-existing differences between these groups. This paper overcomes the selection problems affecting previous studies of the effect of migration on mental health by examining a migrant lottery program. New Zealand allows a quota of Tongans to immigrate each year with a lottery used to choose among the excess number of applicants. A unique survey conducted by the authors in these two countries allows experimental estimates of the mental health effects of migration to be obtained by comparing the mental health of migrants who were successful applicants in the lottery to the mental health of those who applied to migrate under the quota, but whose names were not drawn in the lottery. Migration is found to lead to improvements in mental health, particularly for women and those with poor mental health in their home country.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/02/7396776/migration-mental-health-evidence-natural-experiment
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-4138
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/7178
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper; No. 4138
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectADD
dc.subjectAFFECTIVE DISORDERS
dc.subjectAGED
dc.subjectANXIETY
dc.subjectANXIETY DISORDERS
dc.subjectASYLUM
dc.subjectBENEFITS OF MIGRATION
dc.subjectCITIZENS
dc.subjectCOMMON MENTAL DISORDERS
dc.subjectCONSEQUENCES OF MIGRATION
dc.subjectCULTURAL PRACTICES
dc.subjectDEPRESSION
dc.subjectDIABETES
dc.subjectDISCRIMINATION
dc.subjectDROPOUT
dc.subjectECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
dc.subjectEMOTIONAL DISORDERS
dc.subjectEMOTIONAL DISTRESS
dc.subjectFAMILIES
dc.subjectFAMILY MEMBERS
dc.subjectFEMALE MIGRANTS
dc.subjectFEMALES
dc.subjectHEALTH BEHAVIOR
dc.subjectHEALTH CARE
dc.subjectHEALTH CONSEQUENCES
dc.subjectHEALTH EFFECTS
dc.subjectHEALTH FACILITIES
dc.subjectHEALTH PROBLEMS
dc.subjectHOMELAND SECURITY
dc.subjectHOSPITAL
dc.subjectHOSPITAL ADMISSION
dc.subjectHOUSEHOLD INCOME
dc.subjectHUSBANDS
dc.subjectHYPERTENSION
dc.subjectIMMIGRANT
dc.subjectIMMIGRANTS
dc.subjectIMMIGRATION
dc.subjectIMMIGRATION POLICY
dc.subjectIMPACT OF MIGRATION
dc.subjectINSOMNIA
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
dc.subjectLABOR MARKET
dc.subjectLABOR SUPPLY
dc.subjectLABOUR FORCE
dc.subjectLIFE ASSESSMENT
dc.subjectMAJOR DEPRESSION
dc.subjectMARITAL STATUS
dc.subjectMENTAL
dc.subjectMENTAL DISORDER
dc.subjectMENTAL DISTRESS
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH NEED
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH STATUS
dc.subjectMIGRANT
dc.subjectMIGRANTS
dc.subjectMIGRATION
dc.subjectMIGRATION PROCESS
dc.subjectMINISTRY OF HEALTH
dc.subjectMOOD
dc.subjectMOOD DISORDERS
dc.subjectPACIFIC ISLANDS
dc.subjectPHYSICAL HEALTH
dc.subjectPOLICY RESEARCH
dc.subjectPOLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
dc.subjectPOTENTIAL MIGRANTS
dc.subjectPROGRESS
dc.subjectPSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS
dc.subjectPSYCHOSOMATIC SYMPTOMS
dc.subjectPUBLIC POLICY
dc.subjectPUBLIC SERVICES
dc.subjectQUALITY OF LIFE
dc.subjectREFUGEE
dc.subjectREFUGEES
dc.subjectREPATRIATION
dc.subjectRETURNEES
dc.subjectRISK FACTORS
dc.subjectSCHIZOPHRENIA
dc.subjectSCHOOL AGE
dc.subjectSCREENING
dc.subjectSEX
dc.subjectSKILLED MIGRANTS
dc.subjectSMOKERS
dc.subjectSMOKING
dc.subjectSOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
dc.subjectSOMATIC SYMPTOM
dc.subjectSPOUSE
dc.subjectSYMPTOMS
dc.subjectTREATMENT
dc.subjectUNEMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectWORKING CLASS
dc.subjectWORKPLACE
dc.subjectYOUTH
dc.titleMigration and Mental Health : Evidence from a Natural Experimenten
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crosscuttingsolutionareaGender
okr.crossref.titleMigration And Mental Health : Evidence From A Natural Experiment
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T10:03:21.931884Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/02/7396776/migration-mental-health-evidence-natural-experiment
okr.globalpracticeHealth, Nutrition, and Population
okr.guid925981468311104423
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-4138
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000016406_20070216094607
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum7396776
okr.identifier.reportWPS4138
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2007/02/16/000016406_20070216094607/Rendered/PDF/wps4138.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeEast Asia and Pacific
okr.region.countryNew Zealand
okr.region.countryTonga
okr.topicHealth Monitoring and Evaluation
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Mental Health
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Population Policies
okr.topicDisease Control and Prevention
okr.topicGender::Gender and Health
okr.unitDevelopment Research Group (DECRG)
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isAuthorOfPublication148d6d6d-76e5-5d6f-9af9-98313e30551f
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery148d6d6d-76e5-5d6f-9af9-98313e30551f
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
wps4138.pdf
Size:
296.81 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
wps4138.txt
Size:
82.34 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
Download
Collections
Policy Research Working Papers