Disclosure of Holocaust Experiences: Reasons, Attributions, and Health Implications

Abstract

Abstract A controversy exists about the connection between the disclosure of traumatic experiences and individuals' health. The present study explores the factors associated with disclosure among Holocaust survivors who volunteered to participate in a video testimony project. Fifty Holocaust testimonies were viewed and coded by two raters. As predicted, level of disclosure was positively correlated with mental and physical health, and negatively correlated with internality of attributions for bad events. Belief in the historical importance of the Holocaust, the need to make meaning of the past, and encouragement from others emerged as important reasons for participants' willingness to disclose, in spite of reports that disclosure brought distress. Possible meanings of disclosure during the aging process are discussed. This study provides a basis for future research on Holocaust survivors through the use of archival methods, as well as directions for future research on disclosure in other severely traumati...