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"Children of War": Examining the Associations between War Exposure, Maternal PTSD, and Continuous Traumatic Stress on

Lilach Rachamim1, Roy Aloni2, Hila Mualem-Taylor1

  • 1Donald J. Cohen & Irving B. Harris Resilience Center, Oti Association, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
|April 24, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Children exposed to war trauma face high risks of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Maternal PTSS impacts preschoolers, while war exposure affects school-aged children, necessitating age-specific interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Child Development
  • Trauma Studies

Background:

  • Children in war-torn regions are vulnerable to post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).
  • Maternal PTSS and continuous traumatic stress (CTS) can exacerbate children's PTSS.
  • Limited research exists on the interplay of war exposure, maternal PTSS, and CTS across different pediatric age groups.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between war exposure, maternal PTSS, CTS, and PTSS in Israeli children.
  • To differentiate these relationships based on age groups: preschoolers (3-7 years) and school-aged children (8-12 years).
  • To inform age-specific interventions for children experiencing trauma.

Main Methods:

  • A clinical assessment of 220 child-parent dyads seeking treatment for children's PTSS post-October 7th attack.
  • Utilized sociodemographic information and validated self-report and parent-report PTSS questionnaires.
  • Statistical analysis to determine predictors of PTSS in children and the role of maternal PTSS and CTS.

Main Results:

  • High prevalence of probable PTSD: 69% in preschoolers and 49.2% in school-aged children; 32.4% in mothers.
  • Maternal PTSS significantly predicted PTSS in preschoolers (p < .01).
  • War exposure significantly predicted PTSS in school-aged children (p < .05).
  • CTS indirectly impacted preschool children's PTSS through maternal PTSS (95% CI [1.84, 8.69]).

Conclusions:

  • Early interventions must address age-specific vulnerabilities to PTSS in children affected by conflict.
  • Enhancing parental coping skills and fostering children's resilience are crucial for mitigating trauma.
  • Trauma-focused treatment for both parents and children is recommended to prevent symptom exacerbation.

Keywords:
ChildrenContinuous Traumatic StressMaternal PTSDPTSDRisk FactorsWar

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