What you have makes you healthy: the effect of digital skills on the mental health of rural migrant workers

Abstract

Purpose In the increasingly developing digital economy, it is easier for rural migrant workers with digital skills to obtain job advantages and social support, which can potentially affect their mental health. However, few studies have explored the impact of digital skills on the mental health of rural migrant workers. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of digital skills and the channels through which this impact occurs. Design/methodology/approach This article extends Grossman's health demand model to theoretically analyze the impact of digital skills on the mental health of rural migrant workers. It then empirically tests this relationship using data from the China Family Panel Studies in 2018, 2020 and 2022, employing fixed-effects models, instrumental variable methods, as well as mediation and moderation effect models. Findings The IV estimation indicates that an increase in the digital skills index by one unit reduces the average depression score of rural migrant workers by 2.372 points. Therefore, the improvement of digital skills is associated with lower depression scores and better mental health. Second, the impact varies by skill level, migration scope and the type of digital skills involved. The digital skills of low-skilled and rural migrant workers flowing within the province have significant impact on their mental health, while the digital skills of high-skilled and rural migrant workers flowing between the province have no significant. Digital workplace and social skills significantly affect RMWs' mental health, whereas other digital skills show a statistically insignificant association. Third, wage level, health behavior, utilization of medical services and job satisfaction are the channels by which digital skills are associated with the mental health of rural migrant workers. Finally, working conditions, schedules and exposure to certain risks moderate the impact of digital skills on rural migrant workers' mental health. As working conditions improve, work schedules become more flexible and the work environment becomes safer, the positive effect of digital skills on rural migrant workers' mental health becomes more pronounced. Originality/value First, this article extends Grossman's health demand model to theoretically analyze the impact of digital skills on rural migrant workers' mental health and its channels, while providing empirical evidence for such causal effects. This contributes to the literature on how human capital influences migrant workers' health outcomes. Second, we identify significant heterogeneity in these effects across skill levels, migration patterns and types of digital skills. Third, the results reveal four key mediating pathways: wage level, health behavior, utilization of medical services and job satisfaction. Finally, working conditions, schedules and exposure to certain risks are found to play moderating roles in this relationship.