nep-hap New Economics Papers
on Economics of Happiness
Issue of 2026–05–25
three papers chosen by
Viviana Di Giovinazzo, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca


  1. Spousal Retirement, Mental Health, and Household Resource Allocation: Evidence from Married Couples in China By Sixian Shu; Midori Wakabayashi
  2. Well-Being and Job Satisfaction Among Family Physicians in Quebec and Their Associated Factors: Results of a Provincial Survey By Nadia Sourial; Géraldine Layani; Erin C. Strumpf; Maude Laberge; Roxane Borgès Da Silva; Emmanuelle Britton; Réal Barrette; Jophildy Kiambati; Marielle Yapi; Alexandre Tremblay; Élise Develay
  3. Youth Mental Health and School Smartphone Bans: Early Evidence By Henry Saffer

  1. By: Sixian Shu; Midori Wakabayashi
    Abstract: This paper examines how spousal retirement affects psychological well-being in Chinese households using 2016–2020 China Family Panel Survey data. Exploiting statutory retirement ages as instruments in a two-stage least squares framework, we identify causal effects of retirement transitions. Results show clear gender asymmetries in these spillover effects. For men, a wife’s retirement increases life satisfaction regardless of the husband’s labor-force status, with further gains in depression and marital satisfaction once both partners retire. For women, a husband’s retirement raises depressive symptoms while the wife remains employed, but this effect disappears after her own retirement, when life satisfaction significantly improves. Mechanism analyses suggest these effects operate through gender-differentiated adjustments in household labor allocation and joint consumption patterns. These findings underscore that retirement in China is a collective family-level transition rather than an individual event, highlighting the role of institutional constraints and gender norms in shaping the welfare of aging couples.
    Date: 2026–05
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:toh:tupdaa:84
  2. By: Nadia Sourial; Géraldine Layani; Erin C. Strumpf; Maude Laberge; Roxane Borgès Da Silva; Emmanuelle Britton; Réal Barrette; Jophildy Kiambati; Marielle Yapi; Alexandre Tremblay; Élise Develay
    Abstract: Results of a survey of family physicians Physician well-being is a crucial element not only for the practice of family medicine but also for the performance of the health care system. Family medicine in Quebec faces major challenges, including declining retention, a shortage of family physicians, and a lack of attractiveness of the profession. In 2023, the Table nationale de concertation sur la valorisation de la médecine de famille was established with the mandate to develop a plan to bring together all measures needed to enhance the value of family medicine practice and ensure their coordination. This study stems from a collaboration between the research team and the Table’s monitoring committee. A cross-sectional survey sent to the 10, 591 family physicians practising in Quebec between December 2023 and July 2024 was used to provide a portrait of the state of well-being and job satisfaction among family physicians practising in Quebec and examine the factors associated with their well-being. A total of 1, 252 respondents were included in the study. The analyses show that more than half of physicians (62.5%) were at risk of distress. The survey identified the following factors as being statistically associated with the well-being of family doctors in Quebec, in order of importance: work–life balance followed by a sense of fulfillment in the role of family physician, exposure to unreasonable expectations or verbal abuse from patients, satisfaction with human resources, and lack of awareness of initiatives aimed at improving physicians well-being. By clearly identifying these key factors, the study paves the way for identifying priority levers that can improve physicians working conditions, professional satisfaction, and, ultimately, the performance of the health care system. Résultats d’un sondage auprès des médecins de famille Le mieux-être des médecins de famille est un élément crucial non seulement pour la pratique de la médecine de famille, mais aussi pour la performance du système de santé. La médecine de famille au Québec se heurte à des défis majeurs, notamment la baisse de la rétention, la pénurie de médecins de famille et le manque d’attractivité de la profession. En 2023, une Table nationale de concertation sur la valorisation de la médecine de famille a été mise sur pied avec comme mandat d’élaborer un plan concret pour valoriser la pratique de la médecine de famille et en assurer la coordination. Cette étude découle d’une collaboration entre l’équipe de recherche et le comité de suivi de la Table. Un sondage transversal diffusé auprès des 10 591 médecins de famille en exercice au Québec entre décembre 2023 et juillet 2024 a permis de brosser un portrait de l’état de mieux-être et de satisfaction au travail des médecins de famille et d’examiner les facteurs associés à leur mieux-être. Au total, 1252 répondants ont été inclus dans l'étude. Les analyses révèlent que plus de la moitié des médecins (62, 5 %) étaient à risque de détresse. Le sondage a fait ressortir les facteurs suivants comme étant statistiquement associés au mieux-être des médecins de famille au Québec, par ordre d’importance : la satisfaction à l’égard de la conciliation travail-vie personnelle, l’épanouissement dans le rôle de médecin de famille, le fait de se heurter fréquemment à des attentes démesurées ou à de la violence verbale de la part des patients, la satisfaction à l’égard des ressources humaines et le manque de connaissance des initiatives visant à améliorer le bien-être des médecins. En désignant clairement ces déterminants clés, l'étude ouvre la voie à des mesures structurantes susceptibles de rehausser la satisfaction professionnelle des médecins et leur mieux-être tout en contribuant à une meilleure performance du système de santé.
    Keywords: Family medicine, well-being, satisfaction, associated factors, Médecine de famille, mieux-être, satisfaction, facteurs associés
    Date: 2026–05–12
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirpro:2026rp-11
  3. By: Henry Saffer
    Abstract: This paper is the first to examine the causal effects of school smartphone bans on the mental health of youth in the US. Time series data show that the mental health of youth has been declining for the past decade. Several researchers argue that easy access to social media and other internet sites provided by smartphones is to blame. To provide causal evidence of the effects of these bans, I rely on synthetic difference-in-difference models and the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) from 2016 to 2024. Currently, there are data for only one state with two post-ban periods and two states with one post-ban period, which makes the results preliminary evidence only. The outcome variables are screentime and measures of psychological wellbeing. Overall, these early results provide no clear evidence that the school ban policy reduced screentime or improved psychological wellbeing. Future studies with additional years of data, when they are available, are needed to increase power and to estimate the longer-term effects of school bans on youth mental health.
    JEL: I18
    Date: 2026–05
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35181

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