Following people on their childhood and parenting journeys since 2002 to review the impact of conflict.
Sierra Leone’s civil war (1991–2002) has had long-term implications for family functioning and the mental health of children and youth exposed to the conflict. Since 2002, the intergenerational study of war-affected youth (ISWAY), led by the Boston College School of Social Work and funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health, has followed a cohort of 529 young people affected by the civil war.
The study investigates the effects of their war experiences on their parenting and family functioning and the intergenerational implications for their children’s development. It also examines their post-war experiences to identify risk and protective factors that can inform the design of parenting and early childhood development services that are responsive to the needs of war-exposed families.
Thrive is funding an expansion of the projectto include children aged 0–8 and their caregivers in order to examine the intergenerational impacts of war on early child development. The project will investigate:
- the long-term impact of childhood war experiences and post-conflict social and contextual factors on adult mental health and functioning in war-affected youth who are now adults
- how war experiences and post-war factors influence interpersonal relationships as adults, particularly with regard to parenting practices and parent-child relationships.
- the intergenerational transmission of emotional and behavioural disruptions due to war trauma on the early childhood development of their children.
- how modifiable risk and protective factors operate to inform the design of targeted parenting and early childhood interventions.
The project aims to produce important learnings for programme design and delivery in conflict- affected areas globally.
Findings will also inform the adaptation and testing of our work on strengthening families to improve early childhood development and reduce violence.