The impact of financial inclusion on mental health

Ajefu, J. B., Demir, A. and Haghpanahan, H. (2020) The impact of financial inclusion on mental health. SSM - Population Health, 11, 100630. (doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100630)

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Abstract

This paper examines the impact of financial inclusion on the mental health of heads of household in Nigeria. The study employed data from the 2015/2016 Nigerian General Household Survey (GHS), matched with georeferenced data concerning financial services obtained from the Insight2Impact (i2i) GIS interface. The results indicate that financial inclusion has a strong positive impact on mental health. The study used a robust instrumental variable method, in which a household's distance from the nearest financial institution was used as the instrument for financial inclusion. In addition, it identified the potential channels through which financial inclusion can influence mental health, including: (1) food expenditure; (2) remittances; and (3) risk-coping mechanisms. The findings of this study reinforce growing evidence for the benefits of financial inclusion for alleviating depression symptoms.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Haghpanahan, Dr Houra
Authors: Ajefu, J. B., Demir, A., and Haghpanahan, H.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment
Journal Name:SSM - Population Health
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:2352-8273
ISSN (Online):2352-8273
Published Online:11 July 2020
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2020 The Authors
First Published:First published in SSM - Population Health 11: 100630
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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