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Maternal depression and child human capital: A genetic instrumental-variable approach

Menta, G.; Lepinteur, A.; Clark, A. E.; Ghislandi, S.; DAmbrosio, C.

2021-02-15 health economics
10.1101/2021.02.11.21251547 medRxiv
Show abstract

We here address the causal relationship between maternal depression and child human capital using UK cohort data. We exploit the conditionally-exogenous variation in mothers genomes in an instrumental-variable approach, and describe the conditions under which mothers genetic variants can be used as valid instruments. An additional episode of maternal depression between the childs birth up to age nine reduces both their cognitive and non-cognitive skills by 20 to 45% of a SD throughout adolescence. Our results are robust to a battery of sensitivity tests addressing, among others, concerns about pleiotropy and the maternal transmission of genes to her child.

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