Early-Life Circumstance and Adult Psychological Well-Being
利用中国家庭联产承包责任制作为自然实验，发现胎儿期和幼儿期经历该改革的个体成年后生活满意度和心理健康更好，对男性和弱势家庭影响更大。
Disparities in psychological well-being during adulthood may originate in early-life circumstances, yet the long-term determinants of well-being remain less well understood than contemporaneous factors. This study examines whether early-life exposure to a positive wealth shock, China’s Household Responsibility System, has lasting effects on adult psychological well-being. Utilising the staggered implementation of the reform as a natural experiment, we find that individuals exposed to the reform during the in-utero period and early childhood exhibit significantly higher adult life satisfaction and better mental health outcomes. The effects are more pronounced among males, children of less-educated parents, residents of flatland areas, and farming households. Overall, the findings show that favourable early-life conditions can have persistent effects on adult life satisfaction and mental health.