> Their "taking into account" seems like mere handwaving away. How would the ending of a civil war not be associated with an increase in mental health?

From the paper:

> The temporal changes in suicide do not appear to correspond with the period of civil war (1983-2002).[27] By the time of the outbreak of the civil war in 1983, Sri Lankan suicide rates were already extremely high – 37.6 per 100,000 in 1982. In subsequent years, suicide rates stabilised. The civil war was still in progress at the time suicide rates began declining in 1995. By the time of the ceasefire in 2002 rates had already halved, and suicides rates were relatively stable in the 3 years after the ceasefire.

They also link to studies showing that wars tend to be associated with decreased the rates of suicide.