Early life shocks and mental health: The long-term effect of war in Vietnam
利用工具变量法，发现越南战争期间遭受轰炸强度每增加1%，成年后严重心理困扰的概率提高16个百分点，对男女影响相似，为冲突的长期后果提供了因果证据。
This paper provides causal evidence on early-life exposure to war on mental health status in adulthood. Using an instrumental variable strategy, the evidence indicates that early-life exposure to bombing during the American war in Vietnam has long-term effects. A one percent increase in bombing intensity during 1965–75 increases the likelihood of severe mental distress in adulthood by 16 percentage points (or approximately 50 percent of the mean) and this result is robust to a variety of sensitivity checks. The negative effects of war are similar for both men and women. These findings add to the evidence on the enduring consequences of conflict and identify a critical area for policy intervention.