title: Health Impacts of the Great Recession: A Critical Review.
abstract: The severity, sudden onset, and multipronged nature of the Great Recession (2007-2009) provided a unique opportunity to examine the health impacts of macroeconomic downturn. We comprehensively review empirical literature examining the relationship between the Recession and mental and physical health outcomes in developed nations. Overall, studies reported detrimental impacts of the Recession on health, particularly mental health. Macro- and individual-level employment- and housing-related sequelae of the Recession were associated with declining fertility and self-rated health, and increasing morbidity, psychological distress, and suicide, although traffic fatalities and population-level alcohol consumption declined. Health impacts were stronger among men and racial/ethnic minorities. Importantly, strong social safety nets in some European countries appear to have buffered those populations from negative health effects. This literature, however, still faces multiple methodological challenges, and more time may be needed to observe the Recession's full health impact. We conclude with suggestions for future work in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, 909 Fee Rd., Rm 601, East Lansing, MI 48824, Ph: 517-353-8623.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Margerison-Zilko
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of California, Merced, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95342, Ph: (209) 228-2498.
authors.forename: Sidra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldman-Mellor
authors.affiliation: General Internal Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, Ph: (703) 328-4851.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falconi
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 545 University Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, Ph: (510) 643-8571.
authors.forename: Janelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Downing
keywords: Great Recession; economy; fertility; health behavior; mental health; mortality