Role of Epigenetic Modification in the Intergeneration Transmission of War Trauma
Open accessAbstract
War trauma has been linked to changes in the neuroendocrine and immunological systems and increases the risk of physical disorders. Traumatic events during the war may have long-term repercussions on psychological and biological parameters in future generations, implying that traumatic stress may have transgenerational consequences. This article addresses how epigenetic mechanisms, which are a key biological mechanism for dynamic adaptation to environmental stressors, may help explain the long-term and transgenerational consequences of trauma. In war survivors, epigenetic changes in genes mediating the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as the immune system, have been reported. These genetic modifications may cause long-term changes in the stress response as well as physical health risks. Also, the finding of biomarkers for diagnosing the possibility of psychiatric illnesses in people exposed to stressful conditions such as war necessitates extensive research. While epigenetic research has the potential to further our understanding of the effects of trauma, the findings must be interpreted with caution because epigenetic molecular mechanisms is only one piece of a complicated puzzle of interwoven biological and environmental components.
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Prevention and treatment approaches tend to span multiple levels, including trauma-focused therapy, attachment and relationship-based interventions, and broader strategies that support regulation through sleep, stress management, and health behaviors.
“Prevention and treatment approaches therefore tend to span multiple levels, including trauma-focused therapy, attachment and relationship-based interventions, and broader strategies that support regulation through sleep, stress management, and health behaviors (19, 125–135).”
From Epigenetic changes associated with multi-generational trauma: characterization, mechanisms, and therapeutics (2026) · cites this paper as [132]
Interventions for trauma related to war and displacement focus on reducing child PTSD symptoms while restoring environmental predictability and safety.
“Interventions for trauma related to war and displacement similarly focus on reducing child PTSD symptoms while restoring environmental predictability and safety (132).”
From Epigenetic changes associated with multi-generational trauma: characterization, mechanisms, and therapeutics (2026) · cites this paper as [132]
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Kac, E., Qi, Q., & Ryznar, R. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1769422 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Interventions for trauma related to war and displacement similarly focus on reducing child PTSD symptoms while restoring environmental predictability and safety (132).”
- Authors
- Bolouki, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Namur (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Bolouki, Ayeh
- ORCID
- Bolouki, Ayeh
- Venue
- Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry
- Published
- 2023-05-12
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 312-321
- ISSN
- 0970-1915 (ISSN-L)
- 0974-0422
- PMC
- PMC11239641
- OpenAlex
- W4376271178
- Cited by
- 5
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 0.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- Locations
- Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Repository of the University of Namur (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- war trauma, transgenerational transmission, epigenetic modifications, traumatic stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, immune system, stress response, biomarkers, mental illness, war survivors
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