A Scientific Study Published on the Long-Term Psychological and Cognitive Impacts of the Anfal Genocide

October 15, 2026

A scientific study titled "Long-term psychological and cognitive impacts and intergenerational trauma among survivors and their descendants in the Anfal genocide" has been published in the international scientific journal BMC Psychiatry, part of BioMed Central – Springer Nature.

This study was conducted by Luqman Sarchil from the Department of English at the College of Basic Education, University of Halabja. It aims to investigate the long-term psychological and cognitive impacts of the Anfal tragedy on survivors and their children, approximately 35 years after the event.

The study, published in a journal with an impact factor of 4.6, was conducted with the participation of 464 individuals, including 231 Anfal survivors and 233 of their descendants. Furthermore, the study examines the impact of the level of exposure to the tragedy on psychological distress and cognitive functioning problems, comparing survivors and their descendants.

The publication of this study in an international scientific journal represents a significant step forward in Halabja University's contribution to the development of scientific research and the documentation of the long-term impacts of the Anfal genocide on individuals and society.

For more information, please visit the following link:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-026-08726-2