Psychological Well-Being of Only Children: Evidence from the One-Child Policy

Abstract This paper examines the effect of growing up as an only child on individual psychological well-being. Using national survey data – the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we employ the Kessler-6 scale to measure psychological well-being. Considering family fertility decisions are made endogenously, we use the instrumental variable (IV) strategy using both regional and cohort variations generated by the One-Child Policy in China. Our results show that being an only child as a result of the One-Child Policy is associated with a higher level of psychological distress.