Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Three Essays in Mental Health Economics: Education and Labor Market Outcomes(Saudi Digital Library, 2025-06) Alarabim, Hosam; Koreshkova, TatyanaThis dissertation explores how mental and physical health influence key economic outcomes over the life course, focusing on education, occupational outcomes, and workplace productivity. Using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), the study employs advanced modeling techniques, including Generalized Structural Equation Modeling (GSEM) and mixed-effects regression, to construct latent health measures and quantify their economic consequences. The first chapter examines the impact of adolescent mental health on academic achievement, particularly high school completion and college enrollment. It addresses the limitations of using narrow diagnostic proxies for mental health by applying a factor-analytic approach to create latent constructs. The findings reveal that better mental health significantly improves educational attainment, with a stronger effect on college entry than on high school completion. The second chapter investigates how health status shapes occupational sorting across two major classifications: white-collar and full-time employment. It finds that individuals with poor mental health are disproportionately concentrated in low skill, physically demanding, blue-collar jobs, while those with better health are more likely to enter cognitively intensive, white-collar occupations. Physical health also influences job type, reinforcing disparities in labor market access and long-term mobility. The third chapter evaluates the effect of mental health on workplace productivity. By constructing a composite latent productivity score, based on job satisfaction, hours worked, and income, the study estimates the long-term effects of lagged health status. A one standard deviation increase in mental health is associated with a 0.0251 rise in latent productivity and a 0.0201 increase in wage measure of productivity, confirming the strong and persistent influence of psychological well-being. Together, these chapters show that mental health is a critical determinant of economic opportunity, shaping individual outcomes from adolescence through adulthood.5 0Item Restricted The Relationship of Dispositional Optimism and Religiosity to Mental and Physical Health in Saudi Arabian Students Studying in The United States.(Barry University, 2023-02) Albattah, Majidah; Koncsol, StephenThe relationship between different forms of faith as belief systems and universal concepts of quality of life, health, well-being, etc., has attracted huge research attention. Data from Islamic samples support the positive link between religious belief, mental, and physical health. Little research has been done to examine the multiple dimensions of optimism and how it relates to religion and health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of dispositional optimism and religiosity to the mental and physical health of Saudi Arabian students studying in the United States. Understanding the relationship between optimism and religiosity may allow the creation of different strategies and therapy plans that help to maintain good mental and physical health for students studying aboard. A sample of 316 Saudi Arabian college students studying in United State were recruited. The sample was collected through an anonymous online survey through online sources e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat that reach Saudi communities in United States. Participants were asked to complete five questionnaires anonymously including: A Demographic questionnaire, Physical Health questionnaire, The Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), The Muslim Daily Religiosity Assessment Scale (MUDRAS; Olufadi, Y., 2016), and the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS, Stewart-Brown & Janmohamed, 2008). For the first hypothesis, a correlational analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the scores for The Revised Life Orientation scale and The Muslim Daily Religiosity Assessment Scale. Results showed a significant positive relationship between dispositional optimism and Muslim religiosity. For second hypothesis, a correlational analysis was performed to assess the relationship between dispositional optimism and mental health. Results reveled that there was a significant positive relationship between dispositional optimism and mental health. Results for the third hypothesis showed a significant positive relationship between dispositional optimism and better mental health. In a fourth hypothesis a hierarchical regression was conducted to test that optimism (LOT-R Scores), Mental Health (WEMWBS Scores) and Physical health (Phy Scores) would predict religiosity (MUDRAS Scores). Mental health, physical health and disposition optimism were not found to have a significant impact on Muslim religiosity. As the fourth hypothesis was rejected it was decided to investigate the relationship of optimism as a mediator of religiosity, mental and physical health. Therefore, a hierarchical regression was conducted to test that religiosity, mental and physical health would predict dispositional optimism. Results showed that optimism significantly predicts mental health. There was a trend toward optimism predicting physical health but it was not significant. However, optimism did not significantly predict religiosity. Future research should be focused on a Saudi Arabian population who study and live in Saudi Arabia instead of the USA.23 0