Insecure Lock-in: The Mental Health Effects of Anticipating Insecure Employment

Insecure employment has consistently been shown to have a significant adverse effect on mental health, particularly for males. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), this paper examines the mental health effects of this anticipating entry or prolonged exposure to insecure employment. By estimating the monetary value of health-utility decrements resulting from exposure and anticipation of exposure, we assess the likely benefits of policies which are effective in reducing insecure employment. We show that there are valuable individual and population health benefits which could be gained through effective policies. These benefits will be experienced by males over an anticipation period and an exposure period. For females only the contemporaneous benefits are significant.