Intergenerational trauma describes how psychological impacts of trauma can ripple across generations, affecting even individuals who did not experience the event. This concept first came to prominence when researchers began studying the children of Holocaust survivors and found that trauma experienced from the survivors manifested in their children.
The effects of traumatic events may be passed onto an individual’s children through genes, behavior, or a combination of both, leaving the next generation especially susceptible to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or hypervigilance.
One significant study into generational trauma comes from Brent Bezo’s research into the long term effects of the Holodomor — the mass man-made starvation of millions of society Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. Bezo, interested in the impact of this famine on future generations, directed a qualitative study of 45 people from three generations of Ukrainian families: those who had lived through the Holodomor, their children and their grandchildren. People in this study spoke of what they saw to be the transgenerational impacts from the Holdomor — including risky health behaviors, anxiety and shame, food hoarding, overeating, and authoritarian parenting styles. This discovery opened the door to a growing body of research and clinical work in psychology that aims to look at how mass cultural and historical traumas can affect future generations.
The first documented use of the term “intergenerational trauma” came from psychiatrist Danieli Rakoff who found high rates of psychological distress among children of Holocaust survivors. These children behaved in ways that mirrored those who had lived through the horrors of the Holocaust; they often took a protective stance towards their parents, demanded a high need for control, and possessed an obsession with the Holocaust. A study conducted on 484 adult children of Holocaust survivors found that 35 percent of the smaller sample had generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), 26 percent had a major depressive episode (MDD), and 14 percent had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Environmental wounds of one generation may be transmitted to the next through biological means. Through the lens of epigenetics—environmentally influenced changes in gene expression—trauma may alter how genes function in future generations. Going back to the example of Holocaust survivors: Psychologist Rachel Yehuda, director of the traumatic stress studies division at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, investigated how PTSD may be transmitted to the children of Holocaust survivors. The answer lies in methylation. This biological process modifies DNA and genes. When Yehuda compared the rates of methylation of certain genes in 32 Holocaust survivors and 22 children, she found that both populations showed changes in the same location of the same gene – FKBP5. This gene is stress-related and linked to the development of PTSD. These findings offer insight into how the stress response may be inherited and manifest itself in the next generation.
Trauma can also be passed down through non-biological means of transmission, such as the way parents raise their children, the specific lessons they implement in their lives, and the way they communicate emotionally. For instance, parents can unknowingly formulate fear-based “survival messages” such as “don’t ask for help – it’s dangerous”. These lessons, rooted in past trauma, can influence how children perceive safety and trust in the world.
Children often absorb these patterns through observations. Witnessing a parent navigate the world with fear, aggression, or emotional withdrawal can lead to the development of coping mechanisms that, while protective in the past, may become maladaptive. These children, without having experienced the original trauma may develop similar emotional and behavioral responses that hinder their mental well-being.
Abuse is one of the most direct and potent forms of trauma that may be more readily passed down generationally. Studies show that an abusive childhood can ripple into future generations. For example, children of women who endured severe childhood abuse were found to have depression rates 1.7 times higher—and chronic depression 2.5 times higher—than those whose mothers did not experience abuse. For one, survivors of abuse may unintentionally replicate harmful behaviors or create emotionally unstable environments. A parent who never learned healthy attachment may struggle to form secure bonds with their children. Abuse survivors may also have difficulty managing stress or anger which can lead to emotional instability or neglectful behaviors. These parents who were raised in abusive or dysfunctional environments may begin to see these patterns as “normal” and struggle with identity and trust, impacting how they interact with their children and the environment their children grow up in.
Some psychologists think that living through a historical trauma or being raised by an individual who did, heightens fight-flight-or-freeze response, leading them to rush into modes of heightened stress.
Emotional symptoms may include:
Behavioral symptoms may include:
Emerging research also suggests that stress from trauma can lead to physical health consequences – some evidence points to the effect that it may have on the immune system. For one, PTSD can suppress the production of immune cells that are important for fighting infection and dangerous cell growth. This can weaken the immune system making individuals more susceptible to infections. Also, A 2021 study looked at genes related to immune health among children of Holocaust survivors and found that some of the genes were less active than others.
Healing begins with recognition. For trauma survivors, acknowledging how the trauma shaped their behaviors and parenting styles is the first step toward breaking harmful cycles. Once these individuals recognize how this trauma affected them, they may be able to consciously commit themselves to parenting their children in a manner that takes their own experience into account. For their offspring, recognizing different inherited patterns such as triggers or ways of thinking that may be unhealthy for your mental health, can lead to shifts in behavior. In some cases this form of recognition and healing may require outside help, either with friends and family or professionally. Professionals like therapists, counselors, and social workers trained in trauma informed care can assist individuals dealing with intergenerational trauma through different treatments.
Prioritizing self care is also important in breaking the cycles of trauma – it reinforces the idea that one is deserving of health, happiness and well-being – in many ways countering negative beliefs reinforced through generational trauma. Self care looks different for everyone, but what’s important is that it meets your individual needs. Checking in with oneself, making time for rest and relaxation, and having a strong social support network can help rewire internalized messages of unworthiness unintentionally passed down from previous generations.
Intergenerational trauma is multifaceted impacting emotional behavior, relationships, and well-being. However, this trauma is not inescapable. Through awareness, intentional healing practices, and even professional help, individuals can begin to understand how to untangle the chaos of this inherited trauma and heal for themselves and their future generations.
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