We analyze the effects of conflict-related violence on the mental health of caregivers and young children, and the role of caregivers' mental health in explaining the toll of conflict on early childhood mental health. Although an upcoming body of work has demonstrated the link between caregivers' and children’s mental health, the role of caregiver's psychological constraints has been largely ignored in research and programming in conflict-affected settings. We demonstrate how these constraints play a role in the intergenerational transmission of mental health problems and emphasize the urgency of addressing caregiver’s mental health within early childhood development programs in conflict-affected settings.
