Beyond Baby Blues: The Child Penalty in Mental Health in Switzerland

TL;DR

This study examines the mental health impact of childbirth on women in Switzerland, revealing a significant increase in antidepressant use postpartum, especially among employed women, indicating a lasting mental health penalty.

Contribution

It provides novel empirical evidence of the child penalty in mental health using insurance data and a difference-in-difference approach in Switzerland.

Findings

Approximately 50% increase in antidepressant prescriptions four years postpartum

Increase rises to 75% six years postpartum

Higher mental health penalty observed among employed women

Abstract

This paper investigates the mental health penalty for women after childbirth in Switzerland. Leveraging insurance data, we employ a staggered difference-in-difference research design. The findings reveal a substantial mental health penalty for women following the birth of their first child. Approximately four years after childbirth, there is a one percentage point (p.p.) increase in antidepressant prescriptions, representing a 50% increase compared to pre-birth levels. This increase rises to 1.7 p.p. (a 75% increase) six years postpartum. The mental health penalty is likely not only a direct consequence of giving birth but also a consequence of the changed life circumstances and time constraints that accompany it, as the penalty is rising over time and is higher for women who are employed.