Citation

Lehrer E, Crittenden K, Norr KF. Soc. Sci. Res. 2002; 31(3): 285-309.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0049-089X(02)00002-9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper uses a newly available data set on African-American and Latina mothers living in an inner-city neighborhood of Chicago to study the role of depression as a potential barrier to economic self-sufficiency. Logit regressions that control for a rich set of background characteristics reveal that a short period of high depressive symptoms does not have major repercussions in the economic sphere. However, repeated episodes or a prolonged condition of high depressive symptoms is strongly associated with an elevated risk of subsequent welfare dependency.