The intergenerational impact of war: longitudinal relationships between caregiver and child mental health in postconflict Sierra Leone

Betancourt, Theresa S.; McBain, Ryan; Newnham, Elizabeth A.; Brennan, Robert T.

doi:10.1111/jcpp.12389

Cited by 160 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…It has been suggested that children may be both directly affected by war exposure, and indirectly affected as a result of the impact of war exposure on their mothers' psychological functioning (Betancourt et al 2015;Chemtob et al 2010;Smith et al 2001). For example, in Bosnian school aged children, both the extent of exposure to war and mothers' emotional distress were associated with children's emotional distress following the Bosnian war (Smith et al 2001).…”

Section: War Exposure and Child Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Studies from diverse cultures in different war contexts, have documented the adverse effect of exposure to war on children's adjustment (Betancourt et al 2015;Chemtob et al 2010;Feldman and Vengrober 2011;Feldman et al 2013;Masten and Narayan 2012;Panter-Brick et al 2014;Smith et al 2001). It has been suggested that children may be both directly affected by war exposure, and indirectly affected as a result of the impact of war exposure on their mothers' psychological functioning (Betancourt et al 2015;Chemtob et al 2010;Smith et al 2001).…”

Section: War Exposure and Child Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Pre-Conception War Exposure and Mother and Child Adjustment 4 Years Later

Shachar-Dadon

Gueron‐Sela

Weintraub

et al. 2016

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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Evidence is accumulating for the transgenerational effects of maternal stress on offspring. A particular increasing concern is the possible transgenerational effects of community exposure to war and terror. Here, 107 mothers that had been exposed to war, were assessed with their 3 year old children (52 % girls) who had been conceived after the end of the war, and thus never directly exposed to war. The circumscribed nature (missile bombardment) and temporal limits (34 days) of the tragic 2006 Lebanon war in the north of Israel, affords a unique methodological opportunity to isolate an epoch of stress from preceding and subsequent normal life. We find that war experience engenders higher levels of mothers' separation anxiety, lower emotional availability in mother-child interaction, and lower levels of children's adaptive behavior. The novelty of these findings lies in documenting the nature and strength of transgenerational effects of war-related stress on offspring that were never exposed. In addition, because these effects were obtained after 4 years of a continuing period of normality, in which the children were born and raised, it suggests that an extended period of normality does not obliterate the effects of the war on mother and child behavior as assessed herein. Despite the study limitations, the results are indicative of persisting transgenerational effects of stress.

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Section: War Exposure and Child Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: War Exposure and Child Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 97%

Pre-Conception War Exposure and Mother and Child Adjustment 4 Years Later

Shachar-Dadon

Gueron‐Sela

Weintraub

et al. 2016

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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show abstract

“…The model has originally been developed in contexts of family violence and has proven to be valuable for understanding continuity in offending. Since recently, the cycle of violence theory is receiving increasing attention in conflict-affected contexts [19][20][21][22][23][24][26][27][28][29], perhaps because rates of relapse into conflict are worrying [1]. Overall, insight into the mechanisms fostering intergenerational continuity is still limited, however.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In conflict-affected countries, substantial higher levels of domestic or familial violence often occur [45,46]. In this regard, research in contexts marred by chronic violence-in Western and non-Western settings-has shown that family dynamics and caregiving may impact children's functioning and their role in reproducing violence [28,[47][48][49]. Together with other risk factors or vulnerabilities at different system levels, compromised caregiving may contribute to putting society at risk for new episodes of violence or conflict [22,24,29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How Legacies of Genocide Are Transmitted in the Family Environment: A Qualitative Study of Two Generations in Rwanda

Berckmoes

Eichelsheim

Rutayisire³

et al. 2017

Societies

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Abstract:The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and its aftermath led to large-scale individual traumatization, disruption of family structures, shifts in gender roles, and tensions in communities, which are all ongoing. Previous research around the world has demonstrated the transgenerational effects of mass violence on individuals, families and communities. In Rwanda, in light of recurrent episodes of violence in the past, attention to the potential 'cycle of violence' is warranted. The assumption that violence is passed from generation to generation was first formulated in research on domestic violence and child abuse, but is receiving increasing attention in conflict-affected societies. However, the mechanisms behind intergenerational transmission are still poorly understood. Based on qualitative research with 41 mothers and their adolescent children, we investigated how legacies of the 1994 genocide and its aftermath are transmitted to the next generation through processes in the family environment in Rwanda. Our findings reveal direct and indirect pathways of transmission. We also argue that intergenerational effects might best be described as heterotypic: genocide and its aftermath lead to multiple challenges in the children's lives, but do not necessarily translate into new physical violence. Further research is needed on how children actively engage with conflict legacies of the past.

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Mothering under political violence: Post‐traumatic symptoms, observed maternal parenting practices and child externalising behaviour

et al. 2018

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Using the family stress model as our conceptual framework, we explored whether observed maternal parenting practices (positive and coercive) account for the associations between mothers' post‐traumatic stress symptoms and children's externalising behaviours. Mothers' self‐reported post‐traumatic stress symptoms, observed maternal practices, and reports of children's externalising behaviour were collected from 123 Israeli mothers and their children, who were exposed to ongoing rocket attacks in southern Israel. A structural equation model revealed that mothers' post‐traumatic stress symptoms were linked with greater maternal coercive parenting practices, which in turn were associated with more externalising behaviours in children. The study highlights the crucial role of maternal distress and mothers' parenting skills in the development of externalising behaviours in children exposed to chronic political violence. These results suggest that prevention interventions designed to promote parenting skills for mothers exposed to political violence may be beneficial for children's healthy development.

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The intergenerational impact of war: longitudinal relationships between caregiver and child mental health in postconflict Sierra Leone

Abstract: The findings highlight an important interplay between caregiver and child mental health within the postconflict setting and the need for psychosocial interventions to extend beyond the individual to account for family dynamics.

Cited by 160 publications

References 56 publications

Pre-Conception War Exposure and Mother and Child Adjustment 4 Years Later

Pre-Conception War Exposure and Mother and Child Adjustment 4 Years Later

How Legacies of Genocide Are Transmitted in the Family Environment: A Qualitative Study of Two Generations in Rwanda

Mothering under political violence: Post‐traumatic symptoms, observed maternal parenting practices and child externalising behaviour

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