Abstract
In Zimbabwe, the legacy of the 1966–1979 Liberation War continues to shape the psychological wellbeing of war veterans and their children. Children of war veterans (CWVs) may experience transgenerational trauma (TT) stemming from unresolved parental war-related trauma. This study empirically examined TT among CWVs in Zimbabwe. It employed a four-phase mixed-methods design guided by Goodman’s Transgenerational Trauma and Resilience Genogram and Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model. First, a PRISMA-guided systematic review synthesised global evidence on TT experiences among CWVs through a narrative analysis of studies retrieved from seven electronic databases. Second, a cross-sectional survey of 100 adult CWVs investigated the relationship between trauma symptomatology and socio-demographic factors using regression analysis. Third, seven adult CWVs were purposively selected for in-depth qualitative interviews to explore experiences of childhood adversity and the systemic transmission of unresolved parental war trauma. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Finally, findings were integrated through a convergent mixed-methods synthesis. The systematic review identified six core TT domains: dysfunctional family dynamics, parentification, limited psychosocial support, psychological distress, psychopathology, and resilience. Quantitative findings indicated that younger age, higher educational attainment, and underlying trauma symptoms were associated with increased trauma susceptibility. Qualitative findings generated themes of adverse experiences, silence, distress, and transgenerational influence. Overall, the findings demonstrated that TT among CWVs is both an intrapsychic process rooted in unresolved parental trauma and a structural phenomenon sustained by enduring socio-economic and political adversity. The study positions TT as a relational, structural, and culturally embedded phenomenon and challenges assumptions of a universal trauma trajectory. It advances contextually grounded approaches to understanding TT and informing intervention in post-conflict societies.