Parents enduring wartime trauma can shield their children from anxiety and distress by guiding them through emotional regulation, a new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals. The research, published in the International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice, emphasises the vital role of interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) in promoting children’s mental health resilience amid conflict.
IER refers to ways parents help children manage feelings, such as:
- Discussing emotions openly
- Validating expressions of fear or sadness
- Brainstorming solutions to worries
- Suggesting healthy distractions like play or routine activities
Study overview
The research was conducted by Dr Mor Kleynikov and Professor Dana Lassri from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, in collaboration with Professor Noga Cohen and Dr Joy Benatov from the University of Haifa, and Professor Reuma Gadassi-Polack from Bar-Ilan University and Yale University.
It demonstrates that even parents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms can act as emotional anchors, reducing the psychological toll of war on children.
“The study shows that there is something we can do, even under harsh conditions. It is possible to provide parents with practical tools to support their children emotionally and thereby prevent psychological decline in an entire generation,” the researchers said.
Context and participants
Data collection began one month after the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack that sparked the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, capturing the acute stress of the conflict’s early days. The study involved 318 Israeli parents of children aged 5–18, 76% of whom were women, with an average age of 40. Families reported high exposure to the conflict:
- 32% experienced a rocket landing in their area
- 28% lost a relative
- 16% were partners of reservists
- 6% faced an immediate threat to life
These experiences reflect broader patterns in conflict zones, where civilians face compounded mental health risks. The October 7 2023 attack, which killed over 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, has been linked to elevated PTSD, anxiety, and depression rates across Israeli society, according to the World Health Organisation and Israeli health authorities.
Key findings
- Nearly 28% of parents met the clinical threshold for PTSD, aligning with early surveys showing probable PTSD rates above 25% in adults exposed to the war.
- The severity of parental PTSD correlated with children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties, including anxiety, aggression, sleep disturbances, and psychosomatic complaints like stomachaches or headaches without medical cause.
- Interpersonal emotion regulation significantly reduced this association. Children of parents who used adaptive IER strategies reported far fewer issues, even when their parents had high PTSD levels.
- Techniques like encouraging conversations about feelings or validating emotions helped break the cycle of trauma transmission, fostering security despite wartime chaos.
This moderating effect of IER in armed conflict is a novel contribution, as previous studies had not specifically examined it in war contexts. It builds on established knowledge that caregiver mental health shapes child outcomes in high-stress environments, from natural disasters to pandemics.
Implications and recommendations
The researchers advocate for trauma-informed parenting programmes that equip parents with IER tools. These could include workshops on validation techniques or community support groups focusing on emotional dialogue.
“Investing in these programmes can make a real difference in children’s well-being, not only during war but also in times of ongoing stress,” the study concludes.
They suggest integrating IER-based approaches into educational and therapeutic initiatives for parents in conflict zones. Daily emotional support through school sessions or online resources could help curb long-term trauma effects on the next generation, drawing on models successfully used in previous Israeli conflicts.
Global relevance
As the Israel-Hamas war continues into its third year, the study challenges the idea of inevitable intergenerational trauma, highlighting actionable steps for resilience. Mental health experts in Israel, including the Ministry of Health, stress that early IER interventions could prevent a surge in child mental health referrals.
For UK audiences concerned with global mental health, the findings resonate with ongoing efforts, such as NHS trauma services, to prioritise family-based coping strategies. By showing that imperfect parents can still foster strong emotional bonds, the study inspires hope and underscores the value of investing in tools to safeguard children’s futures.
Access the study
The research paper Parental PTSD and Children’s Well-Being During Wartime: The Role of Interpersonal Emotion Regulation is available at the International Journal on Child Maltreatment.
