War destroys homes, buildings, and often can take innocent lives. However, one can often overlook the emotional and mental scars wars frequently leave behind. Not only does it leave mental wounds among those who are battling at war, but it can also impact civilians; those who were unfortunately caught in the conflict. Civilians can often experience serious mental health struggles such as PTSD, depression, extreme anxiety and many more. Unfortunately, these mental health struggles often don’t just stop after war, they can continue on for the rest of their lives.
In places like eastern Congo, violence has forced many to flee their homes. After fleeing one may seek for a displacement home. Research has shown a rise in people seeking phycological help, growing from 6,600 to 20,000 in only a few months. The number of suicidal thoughts has also been on a rise. Yet only little funding has been placed for mental health services. There has been a chilling story released by apnews.com. A women named Nelly Shukuru felt that there was no end for her pain. Fighting forced her out of her home, into a displacement camp. She planned on taking her life but her neighbor stopped her just in time. This is just one example of thousands who are currently struggling with mental health due to conflict in war.
Research also shows that trauma from war does not just affect those who experience it live and firsthand. It can also be passed down throughout generations. A research article done by Tracey Swartz published at nypost.com shows a new study in which “findings present the first ever evidence that violence can leave epigenetic marks on the genome, which has important implications for understanding evolution an how traumatic experience can become embedded in the genome and present for generations.”
Mental health has been overlooked for decades and now studies have shown the significance of war on mental health. War takes a mental toll on everyone, even those who didn’t witness it first hand. Countries must find and implement better medical aid for those who have suffered and are currently suffering from mental health.
