Professor Michael French

The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health will present the grand rounds lecture “The Recession Is Wearing Me Out! Health-Related Quality of Life and Economic Downturns” with Michael French on Wednesday, September 15 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Clinical Research Building, Room 989.

French is a professor in the Departments of Sociology, Economics, and Epidemiology and Public Health; associate director of the Health Administration and Policy Program; and director of the Health Economics Research Group at UM.

In an economy gone sour, French’s research suggests that health-related quality of life, both physical and mental, worsens with increases in the unemployment rate, and that the impact is more pronounced for mental health. The study concludes that the current worldwide economic recession may have some serious hidden costs. These findings contradict previous research, which suggested that economic downturns actually may be good for health because, for example,  laid-off workers have more time to exercise and cook and less money to eat out.

For more information or to add your name to the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health’s distribution list, please contact Jane Brooks at 305-243-1835 or [email protected].