The Long-Term Effects of Civil Conflict on Psychological Well-being

Joseph B. Ajefu, Mary Silles, Soazic Elise Wang Sonne and Ene Ikpebe

Journal of Development Studies, 2025, vol. 61, issue 5, 708-726

Abstract: A growing literature shows that exposure to civil conflict could have long-term effects on psychological well-being in adulthood. This paper examines the long-term effects of exposure to the Nigerian civil war on the psychological well-being of heads of household using a difference-in-differences approach. We find that exposure to the civil war is associated with an increase in depressive score or symptoms in later life. We also find gender and locational differences in the effects of the civil war on depressive symptoms. The findings of this paper reveal that illness, household income, ownership of formal accounts, access to electricity, and unemployment, are some of the potential mechanisms through which exposure to conflict could affect depressive symptoms in later life. The findings of this paper support the hypothesis that exposure to shocks such as conflict could have deleterious consequences on well-being in later life.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2025.2456906

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