The Psychological Impact of War: Collective Psychological Trauma and Sudanese Society (2–3)

Dr Ahmed Al-Baqir
The first instalment discussed collective psychological trauma, which refers to the painful experience endured simultaneously by large numbers of people as a result of a catastrophic event, conflict, war or natural disaster. Recent studies have demonstrated that the effects of collective trauma extend beyond individuals to affect the social and cultural fabric of communities exposed to war.
Given the detrimental effects of such atrocities on social unity, the fabric of society, social peace, and political and national identity, it is essential to understand these consequences and how they interact with cultural, religious and social factors to produce a complex picture of the collective psychological suffering experienced by societies exposed to war, including Sudanese society. Collective trauma affects large sections of society, transforming shared identity, social cohesion and emotional stability at every level and across different social groups. It also has implications for the country’s political situation in the post-war period. Some of the observed consequences of collective psychological trauma resulting from war include psychological and social effects, as well as political transformations shaped by this shared experience of trauma.
The Adverse Effects of Collective Psychological Trauma Resulting from War
Collective psychological trauma can give rise to prolonged psychological disorders, including existential anxiety (a feeling of disorientation, isolation and threat, in which the source of danger is neither visible nor tangible), grief, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among populations torn apart by war. Other consequences include collective guilt and a sense of abandonment or betrayal by the state or the community. Collective trauma also creates public health challenges, as physical injuries, disabilities and chronic illnesses become more widespread in conflict-affected areas.
Socially, the profound effects of collective psychological trauma can lead to the disintegration of the cultural and social structures that underpin societal unity. War makes no distinction between young and old, or between professions. It uproots the elderly and disrupts traditional forms of governance and social organisation.
Such trauma leads to a breakdown of trust between individuals and institutions, the proliferation of isolationist or sectarian narratives, and a growing sense of helplessness. This often erodes social capital—the capacity of individuals to work together within networks of shared relationships that enhance the value of collective action, promote social cohesion, and facilitate communication, integration, and mutual trust. Social capital is, in many respects, the glue that holds the different parts of society together and prevents its disintegration.
It also leads to chronic social fragility, characterised by mutual suspicion, withdrawal into sub-identities, and the weakening of mechanisms of civic solidarity.
Societies emerging from collective trauma often undergo a process of “redefining their collective identity”. They begin to reconsider their historical narratives, values and alliances, and sometimes even their understanding of the state and the nation. Accordingly, the analysis of collective psychological trauma should not be confined to its therapeutic dimension; it should also be regarded as an analytical tool for understanding profound transformations in society’s underlying structures.
Societies returning to peace face the challenge of rebuilding their leadership and collective structures, often in circumstances where an entire generation may have been lost or civilian leadership destroyed. This makes rebuilding community governance and social cohesion particularly difficult.
The repercussions of collective psychological trauma may also extend across several generations, as the pain, memories and consequences of war seep into the lives of survivors’ descendants. Children born after a conflict inherit a legacy of suffering they did not choose, yet carry the scars of history within their cultural heritage. This is perhaps the most alarming aspect of the problem, unless efforts to respond to collective psychological trauma are intensified and accelerated.
The effects of collective psychological trauma resulting from war also lead to a reshaping of the political identity and sense of belonging of individuals and communities. They may redefine the relationship between citizens and the state, between one community and another, and between the past and the present.
This is perhaps something that occupies the minds of all Sudanese people affected by the war. They find themselves reflecting on the country’s political history, both past and present, while worrying about its future amid the growing complexity of a conflict involving both internal and external dimensions.
One of the most serious manifestations of this reshaping of identity is the erosion of deeply held convictions among Sudanese people, including national belonging, trust in state institutions and faith in social unity. Individuals may come to feel that the framework, or the state, which once defined who they were is no longer capable of embracing them or explaining their suffering.
This may drive them to retreat into narrower identities, such as clan, sectarian, or ethnic affiliations, to compensate for the absence or collapse of national identity.
Perhaps the early signs of this phenomenon are already becoming apparent in what are commonly referred to as social support bases, particularly in areas of tribal contact and regions suffering under the rule and gunfire of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
To be continued…

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