Implications of the Decline in LGBT Rights for Population Mental Health: Evidence from Polish "LGBT-free zones" / Chad Meyerhoefer, Bingjin Xue, Anna Poznańska.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Meyerhoefer, Chad.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Xue, Bingjin.

Poznańska, Anna.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w31702.

NBER working paper series no. w31702

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2023.

Summary:

We investigate the consequences of anti-LGBT laws in Poland for suicide attempts and fatalities by applying border-area difference-in-differences models to county-level data. We find that annual suicide attempts increased by 16%, or 5 attempts per 100k capita, after the enactment of anti-LGBT statutes. This rise in suicide attempts was concentrated among men, and was associated with 11 additional suicides per 100k individuals aged 30-49. We also find an increase in suicide attempts in areas that deliberated, but subsequently rejected anti-LGBT resolutions, providing evidence that stigmatization of minority groups leads to declines in population mental health.

Notes:

Print version record

September 2023.