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Hard to Forget: the Long-Lasting Impact of War on Mental Health

Author

Listed:
  • Massimiliano Bratti

    (University of Milan, IZA and Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano)

  • Mariapia Mendola

    (University of Milan Bicocca, IZA and Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano)

  • Alfonso Miranda

    (Centro de Investigaci�n y Docencia Econ�micas (CIDE) and IZA)

Abstract

In this paper we examine the impact of war trauma experienced during the 1992-1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict on individual mental health and labor market outcomes. By using a medically-validated depression scale and an instrumental-variable approach we show that, six years after the conflict, traumatized individuals are more likely to be at risk of depression(by 60 percentage points) and have worse labor-market outcomes. Our 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimiliano Bratti & Mariapia Mendola & Alfonso Miranda, 2015. "Hard to Forget: the Long-Lasting Impact of War on Mental Health," Development Working Papers 388, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    • Handle: RePEc:csl:devewp:388
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    Cited by:

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    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Aleksandar Kešeljević & Rok Spruk, 2024. "Estimating the effects of Syrian civil war," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 671-703, February.
    5. 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.
    6. 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).
    7. 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).
    8. 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).

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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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