• Mission
    Because research helps to understand, support, and build.

    Develop and share the most relevant scientific knowledge regarding the psychological health of populations exposed to armed conflicts and intergroup violence.

    Our Mission
  • Observe
    Our Perspective

    Leaders researching the relationship between emotions and cognition in extreme situations. Because a new perspective is necessary for coexistence.

    Observe
  • Understand
    Research Axes

    Each of our studies focuses on psychological health. We provide significant contributions to the development of a rich pool of knowledge in the rapidly expanding research areas of human cognition and trauma.

    Understand

The thesis on "Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Rwanda" was defended by Marie Chantal Ingabire on June 1, 2023, at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, for the completion of a Ph.D. in Psychology (research profile).

defense

The genocide perpetrated against the Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994 cost the lives of more than a million people and exposed the Rwandan population to multiple potentially traumatic events (Dyregrov et al., 2000). Exposure to such violence is linked to psychopathology, particularly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and cognitive functioning (Blanchette et al., 2019; Munyandamutsa et al., 2012). Furthermore, studies, mainly conducted in Western countries, have shown that trauma exposure and PTSD in parents are related to their children's psychopathological problems (Yehuda et al., 2008). However, research has not yet examined the intergenerational link between parental PTSD and attitudes toward reconciliation and the cognitive functioning of their children. Additionally, very few studies on the intergenerational transmission of trauma and its mechanisms have been conducted in the context of non-Western, particularly African, countries that have experienced intergroup conflicts. Theoretical models and empirical work suggest that cognitive functioning and attitudes toward reconciliation have significant implications for the reconstruction of post-conflict societies.

The work of this thesis aims to examine the consequences of genocide on the generation of Rwandans born after the genocide with two main objectives. The first objective is to investigate the link between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms in mothers and their children's attitudes toward reconciliation, cognitive functioning, and psychopathology. The second objective is to examine the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms that explain the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Mother-child dyads were recruited in Rwanda and completed questionnaires measuring trauma exposure, PTSD and depression symptoms, attitudes toward reconciliation, and parenting styles. Participants also performed cognitive tasks measuring working memory and abstract reasoning and provided saliva cortisol samples.

The results revealed that mothers' PTSD symptoms were negatively related to their children's attitudes toward reconciliation. Additionally, mothers' trauma exposure was negatively related to their children's abstract reasoning. However, mothers' PTSD symptoms were not related to their children's psychopathology or cognitive functioning. This latter result differs from some studies that have shown a link between PTSD symptoms and psychopathological symptoms in their children. Psychological mechanisms related to parenting styles and neurobiological mechanisms related to cortisol levels did not emerge as pathways for the transmission of mothers' trauma to their children.

The work of this thesis contributes to the advancement of knowledge by providing a broad and multidimensional understanding of the intergenerational consequences of trauma. The results underscore the importance of research on the enduring consequences of mass violence for psychosocial healing, violence prevention, and the promotion of peaceful societies.

Marie Chantal Ingabire
Published on