Unemployment and health: an analysis of the impact of the economic crisis on the health of the Spanish population

Abstract

In this paper we explore the consequences of the economic crisis on the Spanish adult health with special emphasis on the effects of unemployment. We use the conceptual model of Dahlgren and Whitehead. We analyze longitudinal microdata from the Survey of Living Conditions (ECV) 2006-2011 and cross-sectional microdata from the National Health Survey of Spain (ENSE) 2011-12, using econometric models to explain the level of physical and mental health of individuals and their changes when varying income and employment status. Our analysis of ECV concludes that while the housing conditions and needs met proxies significantly influence self-assessed health, neither variations in individual income or the shift from employment to unemployment have a significant influence. Models based on data from the ENSE, however, conclude that after controlling for other determinants of health, unemployment has a significant negative impact on physical and mental health, and that impact is stronger the longer unemployment lasts.