Abstract
A fascinating, yet underexplored, question is whether traumatic events experienced by previous generations affect the aging process of subsequent generations. This question is especially relevant for offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS), who begin to face the aging process. Some preliminary findings point to greater physical dysfunction among middle-aged OHS, yet the mechanisms behind this dysfunction need further clarification. Therefore, the current studies assess aging OHS using the broad-scoped conceptualization of successful aging, while examining whether offspring successful aging relates to parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and offspring’s secondary traumatization symptoms. In Study 1, 101 adult offspring (mean age = 62.31) completed measures of parental PTSD, secondary traumatization, as well as successful aging indices – objective (medical conditions, disability and somatic symptoms) and subjective (perceptions of one’s aging). Relative to comparisons and OHS who reported that none of their parents suffered from probable PTSD, OHS who reported that their parents suffered from probable PTSD had lower scores in objective and subjective measures of successful aging. Mediation analyses showed that higher level of secondary traumatization mediated the relationship between parental PTSD and less successful aging in the offspring. Study 2 included 154 dyads of parents (mean age = 81.86) and their adult offspring (mean age = 54.48). Parents reported PTSD symptoms and offspring reported secondary traumatization and completed measures of objective successful aging. Relative to comparisons, OHS whose parent had probable PTSD have aged less successfully. Once again, offspring secondary traumatization mediated the effect. The findings suggest that parental post-traumatic reactions assessed both by offspring (Study 1) and by parents themselves (Study 2) take part in shaping the aging of the subsequent generation via reactions of secondary traumatization in the offspring. The studies also provide initial evidence that these processes can transpire even when offspring do not have probable PTSD or when controlling offspring anxiety symptoms. Our findings allude to additional behavioral and epigenetic processes that are potentially involved in the effect of parental PTSD on offspring aging, and further imply the need to develop interdisciplinary interventions aiming at promoting successful aging among offspring of traumatized parents.
Highlights
In view of the recent, extensive increase in life expectancy, there is a growing need to understand how people can preserve their health and age successfully
To the best of our knowledge, the current studies are the first to substantiate the relationship between parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the successful aging of OHS
Previous studies rarely assessed physical health among OHS (Levav et al, 2007; Flory et al, 2011; Fridman et al, 2011; Shrira et al, 2011a), and none of them looked at parental PTSD
Summary
In view of the recent, extensive increase in life expectancy, there is a growing need to understand how people can preserve their health and age successfully. Exposure to massive traumatic events such as genocide can shape the aging process of survivors, and affect the aging process of their adult offspring. Whereas there is evidence that individuals who were previously exposed to massive trauma suffer from greater physical (Keinan-Boker et al, 2009; Iecovich and Carmel, 2010) and psychological morbidity (Steel et al, 2009; Barel et al, 2010) in late life, little is known about whether and how indirect exposure to genocide affects the aging process of subsequent generations who were not directly exposed. This research aims to advance our knowledge regarding if, when and how exposure to genocide affects the aging process of adult offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS). The study aims to assess a major mechanism through which the effect of ancestral trauma might linger across the lifespan of generations to manifest itself in old age – secondary traumatization
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