Psychological, emotional, and social impacts of transgenerational trauma on children of war veterans: A systematic review

War has profound mental health consequences for families and communities. Children of war veterans (CWVs) often experience transgenerational trauma (TT) stemming from their parents’ unresolved war-related adversities. This review synthesises global literature on TT among CWVs, drawing on qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. The search, conducted across seven databases (African Journal Online, EBSCOhost, ERIC, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus), followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA guidelines). Studies published between 2014 and 2024 that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Of 2,568 records identified, 17 were eligible for narrative synthesis. Findings were organised into six domains: (i) dysfunctional families, (ii) parentification, (iii) lack of psychological and social support, (iv) psychological distress, (v) psychopathology, and (vi) resilience. Results highlight positive and negative experiences shaped by CWVs’ interactions with war veteran parents, who lived with post-war related trauma. TT has been documented across Africa, Australia, America, Asia, and Europe, highlighting its complex and layered nature. However, data from Africa remains scarce. Further research in this context is essential to enrich the understanding of culturally embedded TT experiences among CWVs.