ArticleBMC global and public health2026
Conflict, mental health, and labor productivity: evidence from hired farm workers in Myanmar.
Article in BMC global and public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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- Conflict, mental health, and labor productivity: evidence from hired farm workers in Myanmar.BMC global and public health · 2026Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundViolent conflict can affect worker's mental health and labor productivity, with implications for agricultural production and food security. Hired farm workers are particularly vulnerable because they often rely on daily wages, have limited assets, and face insecure employment, yet evidence on how conflict affects their mental health and productivity remains limited. This study examines the associations between conflict exposure, mental health, and labor productivity among hired farm workers in Myanmar.
methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional phone survey of 1,504 hired farm workers across Myanmar. The survey collected information on workers' demographic characteristics, work activities during the past 12 months, absenteeism, self-reported labor productivity (presenteeism), agricultural labor market conditions, job characteristics, job and life satisfaction, mental health, workplace harassment, and access to information. These primary survey data were matched with conflict event data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). Mediation analysis was used to examine whether mental health mediates the relationship between conflict exposure and labor productivity outcomes.
resultsOverall, 39% of workers were exposed to conflict and 20% met the criteria for trauma. Compared with non-exposed workers, conflict-exposed workers were more likely to experience trauma (27% vs. 17%), more frequently absent from work (28% vs. 23%), and reported lower work performance (7.0 vs. 7.4). In multivariable mediation analyses, conflict exposure was associated with a 7-percentage-point higher likelihood of absenteeism and a 0.15-point lower work performance score. Trauma significantly mediated these associations, increasing the total association between conflict exposure and absenteeism by approximately 18%.
conclusionsOur findings highlight the need for greater research and policy attention to the socio-psychological implications of conflict, which can erode labor productivity. They also reinforce the case for increased investment in mental health interventions, which have been severely reduced amid widespread budget cuts despite their potentially high cost-effectiveness.
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