Journal of Health Economics · 2026 · Jinglin Wen、Luigi Siciliani、Xuezheng Qin、Prateek Chandra Bhan、Yingying Zhang
Abstract
Discrimination in the labour market could affect mental health. Using age-based discontinuities that affect employment eligibility in China, this study evaluates the effects of age discrimination in the labour market. We find that individuals just above the eligibility threshold of age 35 are less likely to be employed than those just below the threshold but do not experience significantly higher risk of depression. Neither are they more likely to change health behaviours (e.g. drinking, smoking or exercising). Exploration of mechanisms suggests that individuals are more likely to turn to religion for relief. Religiosity can potentially attenuate the detrimental effect of discrimination on mental health.