Hajat Examines How Race, Gender, and Precarious Employment Shape Educational Returns on Depression in Older Adults
Posted: 6/4/2026 (CSDE Research)
In a new article in Aging & Mental Health, CSDE Affiliate Anjum Hajat (Epidemiology, CSDE Development Core Director) and co-authors used data from the Health and Retirement Study (1992–2022) to examine how the mental health benefits of education vary by race, gender, and precarious employment (PE) among older adults. While high school education was generally associated with lower depressive symptoms, Black and Hispanic women with a high school education did not have lower depressive symptoms than non-Hispanic white men without one. As precarious employment increased, the protective effect of education grew only among non-Hispanic white men but not among other race and gender groups. The findings support the Diminishing Returns Hypothesis and highlight how structural inequalities limit the mental health benefits of education for marginalized groups.