The War Inside: How Sri Lanka’s Three-Decade Conflict Shaped a Generation’s Mind
By: Isuru Parakrama
December 31, Colombo (LNW): For nearly three decades, Sri Lanka – the pearl of the Indian ocean – lived under the shadow of a bitter civil war that tore families and communities apart, and left an indelible mark on the lives of its youngest citizens. With much being written about the political and physical devastation of that conflict, we are only now beginning to fully comprehend the deep and lasting impact it has had on children’s brains and futures.
The psychological wounds inflicted by prolonged exposure to violence are not just personal – they ripple through society, shaping behaviour, learning, relationship-building and, ultimately, the prospects of the nation itself.
Scientific research across conflict zones around the world has shown that growing up amidst war does more than frighten a child in the moment — it can actually alter the architecture of the developing brain. Children exposed to chronic stress and trauma experience “toxic stress”, a state in which the brain’s threat response system is constantly activated.
When this system remains switched on, chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline flood the body for prolonged periods, weakening immune responses and impairing brain regions responsible for learning, memory, emotional regulation and impulse control. These effects are not hypothetical – they have been observed in many war-affected populations. Prolonged activation of stress pathways can leave children more susceptible to anxiety, depression and behavioural disorders, long after the sounds of battle have faded.
In Sri Lanka, studies conducted in the post-war years reveal the depth of this impact. Surveys of school children exposed to decades of conflict found alarmingly high rates of traumatic experiences such as bombings, combat exposure and the death of loved ones, with one study reporting that nearly all children surveyed had lived through severely traumatising events and about a quarter met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These traumatic experiences were linked not only to psychological symptoms but to poorer memory performance, lower school achievement and social withdrawal.
The war also disrupted the very foundations that nurture healthy brain development. The conflict forced schools to close repeatedly, interrupted education for thousands of young people, and fractured the routines that give children a sense of safety and predictability — routines that are crucial for healthy emotional and cognitive growth.
Early childhood, when the brain is most malleable, relies on stable environments, nurturing caregivers and regular social interaction. In war-torn communities, these stabilising influences were often absent or severely compromised, with long-term consequences for children’s ability to concentrate, form relationships and trust others.
There is also jaw-dropping evidence that the effects of trauma can extend beyond the immediate psychological impact. Research into epigenetics — the study in which the possibility of gene expression is modified by experiences without altering DNA sequences is explored — suggests that severe stress and trauma can leave chemical markers on genes involved in stress response and brain development. These changes have been observed in studies of children exposed to war, with possible implications for how future generations cope with stress and mental health challenges.
Yet it is important to understand that not all children respond to trauma in the same way. Protective factors such as the presence of caring, stable adults, continued access to education, social support networks and safe environments can buffer against the worst effects of conflict.
Children who were shielded by strong family bonds and community support were more likely to develop resilience and adjust better in later life. This difference underscores the crucial role of social and familial context in shaping outcomes.
For Sri Lanka, recognising the psychological legacy of the civil war is essential to healing and nation-building. Many children who lived through the conflict are now adults, carrying forward the hidden scars of their experiences.
If unacknowledged, these scars can manifest in difficulties with relationships, employment, substance misuse, and mental health disorders, creating intergenerational cycles of distress that hinder both individual fulfilment and collective progress.
Addressing this legacy demands more than remembrance – it requires sustained investment in mental health services, community-based support, trauma-informed education and opportunities for young people to reclaim a sense of agency over their lives. Initiatives such as counselling programmes, peer support groups and creative community activities have been shown to help children and adults process trauma and build resilience.
The story of Sri Lanka’s civil war cannot be told without the stories of the children who lived through it. Their brains, hearts and futures were shaped by years of conflict, yet within the science of trauma lies a hopeful message: with understanding, support and compassion, the wounds of war can be tended, and a generation can still flourish.
The future of the country depends not just on peace, but on the healing of its youngest minds!
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