Education and Mental Health in Young Adulthood: New Evidence From Genetic Markers

This paper presents new evidence on the impact of education on depression in young adults. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, I employ family fixed-effect regressions and an instrumental variable approach using genetic scores. I find having a college degree is associated with a reduction in depression symptoms by 0.4-0.5 standard deviations and a decrease in the probability of experiencing major depression by 8%-12%. These findings are robust when exclusion restriction assumptions of the instrument are relaxed. A college degree appears to have a stronger protective effect on mental health for LGB individuals compared to heterosexuals. I find that education could affect mental health outcomes from better labor market outcomes and improved health behaviors. These results suggest that bolstering educational attainment could be an effective way to battle the high rate of depression.