Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/320519 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 17925
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
A large body of literature demonstrates that exposure to major adverse events such as natural disasters affects physical and mental health. Less is known about health consequences of long- term exposure to smaller, recurring shocks such as mining-induced earthquakes. Leveraging data from the Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study and Biobank and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, we examine mental health effects of frequent earthquakes generated by the extraction of natural gas, which was a major source of economic revenue for the Netherlands. Long-term exposure is captured by the accumulated peak ground acceleration. We employ individual-level fixed effects models to deal with selective exposure. We find that exposure increases depression and anxiety symptoms. Our results are robust to selective migration and to varying the exposure indicator. The results support a reassessment of the societal costs of the mining of natural gas.
Subjects: 
anxiety
depression
mental health
induced earthquakes
mining
stress
gas-extraction
JEL: 
I10
I18
Q33
Q53
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
785.18 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.