The Social Context of Adaptation to Traumatic Events: Soviet Jews and the Holocaust

Abstract

Much of the literature on trauma focuses on the impact of a single traumatic event and its psychological sequelae on a given individual. Little attention has been paid to the effects of multiple traumatic events within one lifetime, or the importance of understanding the relation of the social context of the trauma(s) to the experience of the trauma survivor. This study presents a qualitative analysis of interviews with older survivors of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jews (the Holocaust), who had recently migrated from the former Soviet Union to the United States. In-depth depictions of the effects of multiple traumas on the mental health of single individuals are presented. Further emphasis is placed on the specific social context of trauma to more fully understand the older adult trauma survivor.