Intergenerational Transmission Of Trauma Research Articles

Dissoanalytic Psychohistory: Dissoanalysis of the Traumatic History of Humanity and the Construction of a New Societal Reality

In the face of all the limitations and criticisms regarding the recognition of consciousness as a psychosocial "singularity experience", the construction of "Dissoanalysis Theory: Psychocommunal Therapy" centered on "multiple consciousness system", "multiple reality perception" and "multiple memory phenomenon", that is, a new societal reality, has become an indispensability. Based on trauma and dissociation studies, i.e. modern psychotraumatology paradigms and modalities, the "Dissoanalysis Theory", structured by Ozturk with the aim of creating a functional society consisting of empathetic, prudent, just, peaceful, and capable individuals, made it possible for the emergence of "dissoanalytic psychohistory" from a psychosocial perspective. Dissoanalytic psychohistory is intervention therapy for psychosocial crises! “Dissoanalytic psychohistory” structured by Ozturk within the framework of the dissoanalytic school is defined as a branch of science that does researches on childhood traumas, psychosocial perceptions of childhood, chronic oppressions, child-rearing styles, dysfunctional families, dysfunctional generations, intergenerational transmission of trauma, intergenerational transfer of psychopathology, psychocommunal dissociation, dominant leaders and mass violence and develops strategies focused on especially preventing childhood traumas and wars. Dissoanalytic psychohistory, emphasizing that the neutralization of dysfunctional generations and the future can be achieved by the administration of "psychocommunal therapy" of all nations in the world, is an original psychology theory that consists of a holistic synthesis of modern psychotraumatology and psychohistory paradigms with the study of intergenerational transmission of trauma and intergenerational transfer of psychopathology. Dissoanalytic psychohistory, which is the dissoanalysis of the traumatic history of humanity and the construction of a new societal reality, both analyzes and integrates the dissociative components of societies with absolute reality. Dissoanalytic psychohistory creates development-oriented shifts, “dissociative revolutions”, “integrative psychosocial movements” and “mass predictions” and even functional and healthy new society profiles by raising awareness of masses of human about their actions.

Modern psychotraumatology and theory of dissoanalysis: Traumatic experiences and phenomenon of dissociation

"Modern psychotraumatology: trauma and dissociation studies" is carried out on the axis of dissociative disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses, being both short and long-term psychological consequences of chronic childhood traumas. Post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociative disorders are major co-morbid mental disorders and, in addition, post-traumatic stress disorder comprises only a subset of the psychiatric symptoms of dissociative disorders. The main purpose of the "Dissoanalysis Theory" developed by Ozturk based on the principles of modern psychotraumatology is to create a development-oriented, psychologically normal and functional society consisting of common sense, compassionate, fair, capable and empathetic individuals. Dissoanalysis is accomplished through the treatment of individual and social traumas over the shortest possible term, the development of psychosocial theories focused on strategies to prevent childhood traumas and wars, and the neutralisation of dissociogenic components underlying intergenerational transmission of trauma and intergenerational transfer of psychopathology with a holistic orientation. The theory of dissoanalysis played an active role in the emergence of "dissoanalytic psychohistory" in the psychosocial dimension. Defined as the dissoanalysis of the traumatic history of humanity and the construction of a new social reality, dissoanalytic psychohistory both analyses and integrates the dissociogenous components of societies with absolute reality. The main goal of modern psychotraumatology, dissoanalysis and dissoanalytic psychohistory is to enable an innovative, creative, compassionate, empathetic, justice and peace-oriented society of psychologically integrated individuals to prevail in the intergenerational space.

How Maternal Trauma Exposure Contributed to Children’s Depressive Symptoms following the Wenchuan Earthquake: A Multiple Mediation Model Study

Although well-established literature has indicated the burden of mental health among victims after the Wenchuan earthquake, no research has focused on the mental health of mothers and their children who experienced the earthquake and were pregnant during or shortly after it. This study investigates the relationship between maternal trauma exposure (TE) and children's depressive symptoms after the Wenchuan earthquake and explores the risk and protective factors underlying this relationship. A sample of 547 mother-child dyads, in which the mother experienced the Wenchuan earthquake, was used to assess maternal depressive symptoms, maternal TE, children's depressive symptoms, children's perceived impact of the earthquake and maternal posttraumatic growth (PTG). The results showed that maternal TE had two significant one-step indirect associations with children's depressive symptoms (through children's perceived impact of the earthquake and maternal PTG) and one two-step indirect association with children's depressive symptoms (through maternal depressive symptoms via children's perceived impact of the earthquake). The results indicated that maternal depressive symptoms, children's perceived impact of the earthquake and maternal PTG mediated the association between maternal TE and children's depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of mothers in supporting the mental health of these children. Maternal depressive symptoms and PTG, two posttraumatic outcomes, played positive and negative roles in the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Thus, post-disaster interventions should reduce the maternal transmission of trauma-related information and improve maternal PTG to support children's mental health.

Supplemental Material for Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma and Its Association With Attitudes Toward Reconciliation

Supplemental Material for Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma and Its Association With Attitudes Toward Reconciliation

Psychosocial family-level mediators in the intergenerational transmission of trauma: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Family-level psychosocial factors appear to play a critical role in mediating the intergenerational transmission of trauma; however, no review article has quantitatively synthesized causal mechanisms across a diversity of trauma types. This study aims to systematically consolidate the epidemiological research on family-level psychosocial mediators and moderators to ultimately produce causal diagram(s) of the intergenerational transmission of trauma. We will identify epidemiological peer-reviewed publications, dissertations, and conference abstracts that measure the impact of at least one psychosocial family-level factor mediating or moderating the relationship between parental trauma exposure and a child mental health outcome. English, French, Kinyarwanda, and Spanish articles will be eligible. We will search MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PTSDpubs, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and will conduct forward citation chaining of included documents. Two reviewers will perform screening independently. We will extract reported mediators, moderators, and relevant study characteristics for included studies. Findings will be presented using narrative syntheses, descriptive analyses, mediation meta-analyses, moderating meta-analyses, and causal diagram(s), where possible. We will perform a risk of bias assessment and will assess for publication bias. The development of evidence-based causal diagram(s) would provide more detailed understanding of the paths by which the psychological impacts of trauma can be transmitted intergenerationally at the family-level. This review could provide evidence to better support interventions that interrupt the cycle of intergenerational trauma. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration ID #CRD42021251053.

Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Adverse Childhood Experiences and Children's Outcomes: A Scoping Review.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are among the leading environmental causes of morbidity and mortality. Extending research on within-generation effects, more recent scholarship has explored between-generation consequences of ACEs. Despite growing interest in the intergenerational effects of parents' ACEs on children's outcomes, this line of scholarship has yet to be coalesced into a comprehensive review. The current study is a scoping review on the intergenerational transmission of parental ACEs and children's outcomes. Ten databases such as PubMed, APA PsycArticles, and Social Work Abstracts were searched. To be included, empirical studies must have been published in English and analyzed associations between a cumulative measure of at least four parental ACEs and children's outcomes. Sixty-eight studies qualified for the review and, among these, 60 were published in the most recent 5 years (2018-2022). Fifty-one studies had sample sizes smaller than 500, and 55 focused on the effect of maternal ACEs. Nearly all studies demonstrated that parental ACEs could affect children's outcomes directly or indirectly via mechanisms like maternal mental health problems or parenting-related factors. By scoping the extant literature, this review advances the knowledge base regarding the intergenerational impacts of parental childhood trauma and children's outcomes. It also reveals methodological limitations that should be addressed in future research to strengthen causal inferences along with practical implications for interventions that aim to interrupt the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

Intergenerational transmission of psychological trauma: A structural neuroimaging study

Traumatic events have an important effect in human life and may lead to psychopathological disturbances by affecting the personal and social lives of individuals. Recently, various studies have been reported in the literature showing that the traumatic experiences may be associated with intergenerational psychopathologies. However, there is limited data regarding the neuroimaging studies investigating changes in brain structures in children of traumatized mothers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential changes in the hippocampus and amygdala volumes in the children of mothers exposed to mass trauma. The traumatic event experienced by the mothers was the two devastating earthquakes they experienced when they were teenagers. Hippocampus and amygdala volumes were evaluated in magnetic resonance imaging of 40 children whose mothers were exposed to earthquakes and 27 children in control group. Bilateral amygdala volumes were significantly smaller in the children of mothers exposed to earthquake compared to the control group. In addition, right amygdala and hippocampus volumes were smaller in children of mothers exposed to earthquakes than left. This is one of the pioneering neuroimaging studies on the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Our study shows that there may be a potential relationship between intergenerational trauma and various brain structures.

From “Bad Apples” to “Bad Barrel” to “Bad System”

The purpose of this paper is to widen the scope of workplace bullying to include an analysis of neoliberalism and its propensity for violence. Applying a relational psychoanalytic frame, the paper draws hitherto underexplored connections between abusive relational dynamics and the system of neoliberalism, demonstrating how such dynamics permeate both organizational and domestic spheres, and rely upon an intergenerational transmission of trauma that has its roots in the toxicity of neoliberal forms of work. Findings suggest that workplace bullying becomes normative in a system defined by the steadily erosion of basic social provisions in the interest of market forces. In order to solicit compliance and ultimately wield control in this impoverished environment, neoliberalism shapes individuals into hyper-individualized selves who project their unwanted parts onto denigrated others, while simultaneously identifying with fantasized images of invincibility and self-made success. The irony, however, is that this form of defensive autonomy renders individuals particularly susceptible to narcissistic injury, and thus to identifying with contrasting images of absolute dependency. This oscillation between defensive autonomy and defensive dependency is shown to underpin sadomasochistic relations in both the home and work environment, as bully and bullied mirror each other in an enactment of neoliberal violence.

Living alongside past trauma: Lived experiences of Australian grandchildren of Holocaust survivors

AbstractObjectiveWe explore the experience of intergenerational transmission of trauma in grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.BackgroundImpacts of mass and collective trauma may exceed those initially affected to include the survivor's extended family and, thus, impact families for generations to come. Understanding these impacts is paramount to developing interventions and support programs for the survivors and their families.MethodFourteen semistructured interviews were conducted with randomly recruited 11 female and three male Australian grandchildren of Holocaust survivors (Mage = 36.5 years). Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsSix main themes were identified: knowledge about the past, communication modes about the Holocaust, kinship with other descendants, emotional reactions, the meaning of the Holocaust, and impacts on present life.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrated that intergenerational transmission of trauma occurred and included both features of vulnerability and resilience. Although traumatic content was mainly transmitted through open communication, echoes of the past trauma were also transmitted nonverbally.ImplicationsThere is scope for developing and formulating guidelines for clinicians working with families of collective trauma survivors to educate the clients and support familial communication pathways. Additional clinical and research implications are discussed.

The Generational Trauma Card: A Tool to Educate on Intergenerational Trauma Transmission

Communication related to intergenerational trauma has the potential to mitigate the health impact of traumatic exposures for caregivers and also to prevent traumatic exposures and chronic stress for offspring. Pediatricians reviewed a generational trauma card (GTC), a graphic depicting generational trauma transfer and strategies to address the health effects of trauma exposure, with 21 adolescent mothers in a primary care clinic. On a Likert scale of 1–5, participants rated high interest in learning about generational trauma (4.2), likelihood of sharing the information with others (4.6) and potential of making changes in their life based on the information (4.5).

Narrative themes of Chinese Canadian intergenerational trauma: offspring perspectives of trauma transmission

ABSTRACT In a series of two papers, the narrative themes of Intergenerational Trauma (IGT) from both the perspectives of the parent and offspring generation in the Chinese diaspora in Canada are examined. IGT involves parental traumatization, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the impact of trauma on subsequent generations. This study focuses on the narratives of the offspring generation and their construction of how their parents’ traumas shaped their lives. Narratives of IGT were constructed using a collaborative narrative method. The offspring narratives were centred on their experiences growing up in Canada and how those experiences were influenced by the transmission of their parents’ traumas. Narratives were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) reflexive thematic analysis. The themes developed from the narratives were as follows: (a) silence and disconnection; (b) saving face and conflicting values; (c) discipline and internalization of insecurities; (d) education as necessity; and (e) preservation and reclamation of heritage. The study illustrates how collective and IGT are understood through the mediated narrative lens of subsequent generations. The role of silence and its construction in these narratives is discussed from a cultural standpoint in relation to dominant trauma discourse. The study has implications for understanding Chinese diasporic IGT through narrative and cultural frameworks and invites trauma and IGT discourses as clinical and research considerations for this population.

Whether and when disclosing the trauma to one’s children in a migratory context? A pilot mixed methods investigation

BackgroundDisclosing traumatic events experienced by parents to their children is a central issue in the intergenerational trauma transmission. However, little is known about this question among migrant population. The main objective of this study was to examine the choice to disclose the traumatic experiences of migrant women in France to their children.MethodsThis pilot study examined fourteen mother–child dyads in which migrant mothers (M = 30 years; range = 19–42 years) were exposed to traumatic events. A sequential mixed method design was used. In addition to the completion of the Impact Event Scale-Revised, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. These data were analyzed using thematic and cross-cultural methods. The survey took place from May 2019 to July 2020.ResultsOur study revealed three profiles of mothers with regard to the choice to disclose the traumatic story to the child: one group of mothers opted for silence (n = 4), the other for disclosure (n = 7) and the last group who were hesitant (n = 3). The modalities of choice were statistically associated with the severity of the post-traumatic stress symptoms, F (2, 11) = 4,62, p < .05. Specifically, women who made the choice of silence (M = 72.75, SD = 4.99) and those hesitated on the choice to disclosure (M = 71.33, SD = 7.51) reported higher scores on IES-R than those who made the choice to disclosure (M = 59.86, SD = 12.44). Six main themes emerged from the thematic and cross-cultural analysis of participants’ narratives: (1) the personalization of the traumatic experience, (2) the child seen as a weapon against collapse, (3) the fear of the child's personal reactions, (4) the possible partial disclosure, (5) the trauma narrative according to the child's age, and (6) the trap of the in-between two cultures.ConclusionOur results suggest that the recovery of these mothers from their trauma, through culturally appropriate therapeutic care, can effectively contribute to the choice to disclose their traumatic experiences to their children. This treatment can support them in developing open and healthy communication strategies to prevent the transmission of traumatic effects to their children.

A Systematic Literature Review of the Contribution Accumulation Makes to Psychological and Physical Trauma Sustained through Childhood Maltreatment

The pervasive effects of cumulative harm resulting from adverse childhood experiences influence all aspects of an individual’s life course. Research highlights a relationship between accumulation and trauma symptomology across all domains of harm and risk. A systematic literature review was conducted to explore and synthesize the current evidence base for the contribution accumulation makes to psychological and physical injury of childhood trauma. A search was conducted relevant to two areas of interest: (a) “cumulative harm” or “cumulative trauma” and (b) “consequences and outcomes”. Database searches and further manual searches yielded a total of 1199 articles, and 12 studies satisfied all the inclusion criteria. Only studies that were peer-reviewed and published between January 2011 and January 2022 were included. The evidence from the review indicated that multiplicity and polyvictimization, parental history and intergenerational transmission of trauma, systemic cumulative harm, and developmental lifespan outcomes were associated with the likelihood and impact of the accumulation of physical and psychological injury. The findings of this review contribute valuable knowledge to allow for a better understanding of the physical and psychological impact of accumulated and chronic childhood trauma. This knowledge will improve intervention, prevention, and management strategies for helping professionals working with traumatized or vulnerable children and adults.

Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma: The Mediating Effects of Family Health.

Family health is important to the well-being of individual family members and the collective family unit, and as such, may serve as a mediator for the intergenerational transmission of trauma (ITT). This study aimed to understand the intergenerational impact of parent’s adverse and positive childhood experiences (ACEs and PCEs) on their children’s adverse family experiences (AFEs) and how family health mediated those relationships. The sample consisted of 482 heterosexual married or cohabiting couples (dyads) in the United States who had a child between the ages of 3 and 13 years old. Each member of the dyad completed a survey, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Parental ACEs were associated with more AFEs. The fathers’, but not the mothers’, ACEs were associated with worse family health. Parental PCEs were associated with better family health, and family health was associated with lower AFE scores. Indirect effects indicated that parental PCEs decreased AFEs through their impact on family health. Family health also mediated the relationship between the father’s ACEs and the child’s AFEs. Interventions designed to support family health may help decrease child AFEs.

Intergenerational transmission of trauma: unpacking the effects of parental adverse childhood experiences

ABSTRACT Background: Existing research documented the connection between individuals’ childhood trauma exposure and adverse health and behavioural health outcomes. However, less attention has been paid to understanding trauma in an intergenerational context. Objective: This study aims to fill this research gap by (1) exploring the association between parents’ trauma histories and child behavioural outcomes; (2) unpacking the effects of different types of parental trauma on child behavioural outcomes; (3) examining whether these associations vary by parental roles. Participants and Setting: This study recruited 202 parents from an online data collection platform – Amazon Mechanical Turk. Methods: We conducted regression analyses to examine the associations between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their child’s behavioural problems and functioning. Results: Findings showed that only parental childhood maltreatment ACEs, but not family dysfunction ACEs, were significantly associated with child behavioural problems and functioning. The impact of parental child maltreatment ACEs on child behavioural problems was equally significant between fathers and mothers. In contrast, mothers’ childhood maltreatment ACEs exerted a more potent effect on child functioning. Conclusion: Study findings highlighted the need for child behavioural health services to incorporate the screening and treatment of parental ACEs in treatment programmes to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

Does the trauma associated with out-of-home care transmit across generations? Evidence from the 1970 British Cohort Study during a major health pandemic

ObjectivesChildren with experience of out-of-home care (OHC) are at an increased risk of adverse outcomes in later life, including poorer levels of psycho-social adjustment. Less is known about the intergenerational...

Thematic Analysis of Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Latinx Immigrant Families in the Southern US

Thematic Analysis of Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Latinx Immigrant Families in the Southern US

Pregnant women with bipolar disorder who have a history of childhood maltreatment: Intergenerational effects of trauma on fetal neurodevelopment and birth outcomes.

Intergenerational transmission of trauma occurs when the effects of childhood maltreatment (CM) influence the next generation's development and health; prenatal programming via maternal mood symptoms is a potential pathway. CM is a risk factor for bipolar disorder which is present in 1.8% of pregnant women. Mood symptoms are likely to increase during pregnancy, particularly for those with a history of CM. We examined whether there was evidence for intergenerational transmission of trauma in utero in this population, and whether maternal mood was a transmission pathway. CM and maternal mood were self-reported by N=82 pregnant women in treatment for bipolar disorder. Fetal heart rate variability (FHRV) was measured at 24, 30, and 36 weeks' gestation. Gestational age at birth and birth weight were obtained from medical charts. A cluster analysis yielded two groups, Symptom+ (18.29%) and Euthymic (81.71%), who differed on severe mood symptoms (p < 0.001) but not on medication use. The Symptom+ group had more CM exposures (p < 0.001), a trend of lower FHRV (p=0.077), and greater birth complications (33.3% vs. 6.07% born preterm p < 0.01). Maternal prenatal mood mediated the association between maternal CM and birth weight in both sexes and at trend level for gestational age at birth in females. This is the first study to identify intergenerational effects of maternal CM prior to postnatal influences in a sample of pregnant women with bipolar disorder. These findings underscore the potential enduring impact of CM for women with severe psychiatric illness and their children.

After the catastrophe: working with the intergenerational transmission of collective trauma in Jungian analysis.

The psychological/emotional impact of the collective traumas and psychic catastrophes of the Jewish holocaust, Stalin's Gulags, and China's Cultural Revolution upon the second and third generation of survivors in the U.S., China and Russia is explored through the lens of Jungian analysis and infant observation. Infant observation research in Russia and China provides a scaffolding for the study of the transmission of collective trauma. Parent/infant interactions that may indicate that the intergenerational transmission of trauma is taking place will be explored. Analytical and infant observation research indicate that trauma can be transmitted from one generation to the next, often unconsciously, and that the impact of collective trauma creates tears and holes in the emergent cultural and personal psychic skins of the infant that can impede the development of a coherent individual identity, as well as secure attachment relationships. These tears and holes in the cultural and personal psychic skins can later become the focus of analysis in the second and third generation of survivors. Analysis can become a space for both collective/personal mourning and healing as coherent symbolic, historical and personal narratives are co-constructed and integrated within the analytical temenos.

Violence, Criminalization &amp; Punitive Excess

Violence, Criminalization &amp; Punitive Excess