Background Over 6 million people have fled their homes in response to the full- scale invasion of Russian armed forces into Ukraine and are forcibly displaced since the start on 4 February 2022. Refugees, both adults and children, have a high risk of developing mental health disorders, in particular post- traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety disorders. Research into the mental health of Ukrainian families and their needs is urgently needed.

Recent work has continued to deepen our understanding of the manifestation of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). While disturbance of self-organization (DSO) is identified as a key symptom set distinguishing CPTSD from general PTSD diagnostic criteria, specific DSO assessments which include attachment themes would be a helpful tool for clinicians to address DSO in clinical, subclinical, and nonclinical populations.

Maternal trauma influences infant and adult health outcomes and may impact future generations through epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation (DNAm). Research in humans on the intergenerational epigenetic transmission of trauma effects is limited. In this study, we assessed DNAm signatures of war-related violence by comparing germline, prenatal, and direct exposures to violence across three generations of Syrian refugees. We compared families in which a pregnant grandmother versus a pregnant mother was exposed to violence and included a control group with no exposure to war.

Background