Abstract
Social inequality in life expectancy (LE) and various indicators of health expectancy have received much attention. Mental health expectancy (MHE) has received less attention, although research has shown an increasing prevalence of poor mental health. We aimed to investigate educational differentials in LE in relation to good, moderate, and poor mental health. Nationwide registry data on education and mortality were linked and combined with data from the Danish National Health Survey for 2017 and 2021 on mental health and education. The sample group consisted of data on Danes aged 30 and over. MHE was estimated by Sullivan's method. From 2017 to 2021, a general decline in the MHE of Danes was observed. Furthermore, the educational inequality in MHE remained substantial between genders, and was larger than the inequality in LE. Changes in MHE differed across educational groups. For Danes with short education, good MHE tended to increase for men, while the increase was statistically significant among women. MHE is associated with educational attainment. Despite the observed changes in educational differential, substantial inequality persists, raising important questions about the underlying causes of social disparity in MHE.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.