Mental health impact of intragroup vs. intergroup wartime violence

Exposure to political violence has well-documented consequences for psychological well-being. Yet, most research emphasizes the consequences of intergroup conflict and overlooks that of intragroup violence. Using survey data from Tamil civilians in postwar Sri Lanka, we compare the mental health outcomes of those exposed to violence perpetrated by ethnic outgroups (intergroup violence) and those exposed to violence by members of their own ethnic group (intragroup violence). Results show that both forms of violence increase posttraumatic stress disorder, but the impact of intragroup violence is nearly four times larger. In contrast, intergroup violence is positively associated with posttraumatic growth), while intragroup violence is not. These findings highlight the need to consider the source of violence in designing postconflict mental health interventions.