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Hard to forget:The long-lasting impact of war on mental health

Author

Listed:
  • Massimiliano Bratti

    (DEMM, Università degli Studi di Milano, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano (LdA))

  • Mariapia Mendola

    (DEMS, Università degli Studi di Milano–Bicocca, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano (LdA))

  • Alfonso Miranda

    (CIDE, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of war trauma experienced during the 1992-1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict on individual mental health. By using a medically-validated depression scale and an instrumental-variable approach we show that, six years after the conflict, traumatised individuals are significantly more likely to be at risk of depression. Results are robust to a number of sensitivity checks accounting for individual geographical mobility and different treatment intensities, and suggest that the negative effects of war trauma are not mainly mediated by physical health problems. Moreover, war trauma has sizeable negative effects on individual labour market outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimiliano Bratti & Mariapia Mendola & Alfonso Miranda, 2016. "Hard to forget:The long-lasting impact of war on mental health," HiCN Working Papers 206, Households in Conflict Network.
    • Handle: RePEc:hic:wpaper:206
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    Cited by:

    1. Singhal, Saurabh, 2019. "Early life shocks and mental health: The long-term effect of war in Vietnam," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    2. Liu, Jenny & Modrek, Sepideh & Sieverding, Maia, 2019. "The effects of political protests on youth human capital and well-being in Egypt," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    3. Saurabh Singhal, 2018. "Early life shocks and mental health: The long-term effect of war in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series 65, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Martin Philipp Heger & Eric Neumayer, 2022. "Economic legacy effects of armed conflict: Insights from the civil war in Aceh, Indonesia," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 39(4), pages 394-421, July.
    5. Constanze Fettnig, 2021. "The role of energy providers in tackling energy poverty," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 214, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.
    6. Rebecca N. Thomson & John S. Carlson & Dylan S. T. Voris & Millie Shepherd & Kim Batsche-McKenzie, 2016. "A Dual-Factor Approach to Exploring Wraparound Outcomes in Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance within Community-Based Mental Health Settings," International Journal of Psychological Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(1), pages 107-107, March.
    7. Bharati, Tushar, 2022. "The long shadow of the Kargil War: The effect of early-life stress on education," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    8. Aleksandar Keseljevic & Rok Spruk, 2022. "Estimating the Effects of Syrian Civil War," Papers 2209.03046, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    war trauma; mental health; depression; Bosnia and Herzegovina;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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