Abstract

War and armed conflict are enduring global phenomena that exert profound and multifaceted effects on mental 
health. This narrative review synthesizes over a century of research examining the psychological, psychiatric, and 
psychosocial consequences of warfare across diverse populations and settings. Drawing on historical studies, 
contemporary epidemiological evidence, and thematic analyses, the review highlights key mental health outcomes, 
including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, acute stress reactions, substance use 
disorders, psychosis, and broader behavioral disturbances. The review further underscores the heightened 
vulnerability of specific groups like children, adolescents, women exposed to gender-based violence, military 
personnel and veterans, and forcibly displaced populations whose psychological burden is shaped by direct 
exposure to violence, chronic stress, social disruption, and loss of family and community structures. Mechanisms 
linking war to psychological outcomes are explored, including traumatic exposure, displacement, prolonged 
insecurity, and the deterioration of societal infrastructure and access to mental health care. Despite advances in 
trauma-focused and community-based interventions, significant gaps persist in long-term outcome studies, 
research from low-income contexts, culturally adapted treatment models, and the integration of mental health into 
post-conflict reconstruction. Ethical and methodological challenges also continue to constrain the evidence base. 
The review calls for strengthened mental health systems, context-specific interventions, and coordinated global 
policy responses to mitigate the enduring mental health impacts of war and support the resilience of affected 
populations.