I am a survivor, keep on surviving: early-life exposure to conflict and subjective survival probabilities in adult life

Bruno Arpino, Pierluigi Conzo and Francesco Salustri

Journal of Population Economics, 2022, vol. 35, issue 2, No 4, 517 pages

Abstract: Abstract Life-course studies have shown that early-life conditions predict health and socio-economic status in adult life. This study analyzes whether experiencing a traumatic event in childhood, i.e., the Second World War (WW2), affects subjective survival probabilities (SSPs). We rely on a representative sample of European adults who were differentially exposed to WW2 during childhood as a result of their date and place of birth. Results show that exposure to WW2 increases SSPs, with socio-economic and health characteristics not playing a mediating role. War exposure also counterbalances the adverse effects of health impairments on SSPs, but it does not affect health outcomes per se. This fact, jointly with low mortality rates of the cohort under investigation, suggests that selective mortality and post-traumatic stress are not the main channels. Instead, the results support the hypothesis that personal growth and life appreciation emerge after traumatic events, thereby leading to optimistic perceptions of longevity.

Keywords: Childhood conditions; Subjective survival probabilities; Second World War; Post-traumatic growth; Life-course approach; PTSD; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 I10 I31 J1 J14 N44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Working Paper: I’m a survivor, keep on surviving: Early-life exposure to conflict and subjective survival probabilities in adult life (2019)
Working Paper: I'm a survivor, keep on surviving: Early-life exposure to conflict and subjective survival probabilities in adult life (2018)
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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-021-00859-w

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