Born at the right time: Examining the effect of age at school entry on mental health in adulthood

Abstract

This paper examines the largely understudied effect of age at school entry on adult mental health. Using nationwide Finnish register data, we capture a broad spectrum of mental health conditions, ranging from severe disorders to less severe problems. To identify causal effects, we implement a regression discontinuity design around the January 1 school-entry cutoff. We find that being born at the beginning of the year improves mental health outcomes, with the effects concentrated among women in their late twenties.

Publication Information

Böckerman, P., Haapanen, M., Kuhakoski, J., Kuuppelomäki, T., & Villanen, J. (2026), Born at the right time: Examining the effect of age at school entry on mental health in adulthood, Economics of Education Review, 115, 102852.

• ISSN: 1873-7382 (Online), 0272-7757 (Print)
• JEL: I10, I14, I31, J13