1. Restricted Data in the PSID: Availability, Requirements, & Challenges
Survey Research Center
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan

2. Overview Overview of the PSID Availability of restricted data
Current requirements to obtain restricted data
Issues and challenges
Plan for the future

3. PSID Study Design National sample of 5,000 families in 1968
Now consists of more than 9,000 families
“Split-offs” are followed
1968 family members are followed as they grow-up and establish own economic family units
Therefore, multiple generations of family members are surveyed
Post-1968 immigrants added in 1997
 21% Asian, 52% Latino
Key design elements
Mode: Telephone – CATI since 1993
Frequency: Every year, ; biennial since 1997
One interview per family unit
96-98% wave-to-wave core response rate
Attritors recontacted for 1 wave following wave of non-response 3

4. Unique Design Features of PSID
National sample
People of all ages, entire life course
Long panel
Genealogical design
Point-in-time: Parent-Child / Grandparent-Child / Sibs (e.g., BMI)
Specific life course point: Parent-Child / Sibs (e.g., earnings at age 40; birthweight)
Broad and deep content
Economic: income, wealth, pensions, consumption
Demographic: fertility, mortality, migration, marriage
Health: health status, health behaviors, health insurance
Child development: health, cognition, psychosocial wellbeing 4

5. Availability of PSID Restricted Data
Geospatial data
Links to National Death Index
School identifiers
Hurricane Katrina module
Medicare claims
Miscellaneous datasets: birthdate; vehicle models; assisted housing data

6. Restricted Data Contracts by Year

7. Geospatial Data
Link PSID to data from decennial census 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000
Tract, block-group, block data may be linked to PSID public data
Research Uses
Study distances between family members at a point in time and over time, as well as for individuals over time
Examine distances from various facilities, such as health services
Effects of neighborhood characteristics on a variety of life course outcomes

8. Links to National Death Index
Study effects of health and SES over the life course on mortality, including cause of death
ICD cause of death since 1979, date and location of death, match quality indicators
PSID uses SSN from the SSDI to obtain high-quality match for known decedents and attritors
Match rate in most recent file of 95%
More than 6,000 decedents

9. School Identifiers For children & adolescents in PSID-CDS:
Links to the NCES Common Core of Data and Private School Survey data on elementary & secondary schools, including: size, location, pupil-teacher ratio, % free lunch, special education information, racial/ethnic distribution, and more
For young adults in PSID-TA:
Links to the NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System on universities, colleges, vocational training, including: size, location, enrollment, tuition, graduate rates, financial aid, and more

10. PSID Hurricane Katrina Module 2007
555 families interviewed after PSID 2007
Content on
Extent of exposure & effect of Katrina, including personal property & business damage, whether anyone they knew was injured/killed, evacuation, rescue/recovery efforts
Detailed information on mental health, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use/dependence/abuse, health service utilization, social support & social networks
Why restricted?
Combination of geographic information & sensitive content

11. Medicare Claims
Nearly 20 yrs of links to claims and benefits data for eligible PSID respondents
Links made , and again starting in 2005 through 2009
About 950 respondents are linked so far, or about 65% of those who have been asked for permission
Refusers are reasked each wave
Data include diagnoses, procedures, service dates
Examine predictors of health insurance status, service utilization and cost

12. Requirements for Obtaining Data
Research plan describing appropriate use of the data
Approved data protection plan
Evidence of IRB review using same standard as for live human subjects
Non-refundable processing fee
Special requirements for Medicare claims

13. Data Protection Plan Requirements
Standalone, non-networked PC, no automated backups of data, no laptops
Locked office, password-protected PC
Secured storage of removable data devices
No publication or presentation of small cell sizes (i.e., at tract-level or below), including maps

14. Requirements for Medicare Claims
Same requirements as described above, plus:
Must be a permanent, full-time, doctoral-level faculty member, and,
PI of federal grant OR affiliated with a federally funded Center whose Director and PI agrees to be Co-PI
Must enter into a Data Use Agreement with the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare (CMS)
Must agree to be subject to random, in-person audits

15. Challenges & Issues Ensuring data protection with new technologies
Increasing access to restricted data while maintaining security
Obtaining IRB (or other) guidance for disseminating restricted data

16. Plans for the Future
Technological developments in restricted data distribution
Centralized system through DSDR/ICPSR with electronic application materials and automated processing
Collection of new administrative data
Social Security earnings and benefit data?
Medicaid data?
Development of tools to facilitate analysis
Software to provide information about distances between related family members in all waves

17. Sponsors National Science Foundation National Institute on Aging
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
U.S. Department of Agriculture – Economic Research Service
Indiana University – Purdue University Center on Philanthropic Studies