Disentangling the Mental Health Consequences of Serial Wars: A Migration-Based Approach to Assessing War Exposure

Yvette Young , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Kim Korinek, University of Utah
Minh Nguyen, Institute for Family and Gender Studies

The literature documenting the physical and mental health effects of war is extensive, however, few studies examine how serial wars, especially wars of differing intensities, affect long-term health either distinctly or in combination. This study uses data from the Vietnam Health and Aging Study, historical bombing records, and media reports of war events to evaluate the mental health effects of exposure to the violent events of both the Second and Third Indochina Wars. We leverage the VHAS’s detailed migration histories and the GDELT events database to estimate exposure to violence during the “lesser” conflicts of the Third Indochina War. Our preliminary analyses indicate that VHAS respondents’ exposure to armed conflict after the American War was non-negligible. Our analyses will illuminate the impact of serial wars, especially wars of vastly different intensities focusing on how different wars are both distinct and intricately intertwined in their long-term effects on mental health.

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 Presented in Session 102. The Impact of Violence on Health, Wellbeing and Morbidity