Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Title: Adolescents’ Mental Health and Human Capital: The Role of Socioeconomic Rank
Author-Name: Michaela Paffenholz
Author-Email: michaela.paffenholz@econ.lmu.de
Classification-JEL: I14, I23
Keywords: mental health, rank, higher educa􀀂on

Abstract: I provide evidence on the causal effects of a student’s relative socioeconomic status during high
school on their mental health and human capital development. Leveraging data from representative
US high schools, I utilize between-cohort differences in the distributions of socioeconomic status
within schools in a linear fixed effects model to identify a causal rank effect. I find that a higher
rank during high school improves a student’s depression scores, cognitive ability, self-esteem and
popularity. The rank effects are persistent with long-lasting consequences for adult depression and
college attainment. Additional analyses emphasize the role of inequality in exacerbating these rank
effects.

Note: 
Length: 74
Creation-Date: 2024-04
Revision-Date:
File-URL: https://www.crctr224.de/research/discussion-papers/archive/dp526
File-Format: application/pdf
Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:CRCTR224_2024_526