Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational trauma, refers to the effects of the passed on trauma from one generation to another. This phenomenon occurs when individuals or communities have dealt with significant trauma, such as war, violence and.or systemic oppression of which the psychological and emotional consequences are passed down to next generations.
Nature vs Nurture
One of the initial articles which shed light on the presence of intergenerational trauma dates back to 1966 when the Canadian psychiatrist and MD, Vivian M. Rakoff, and colleagues observed notable high rates of psychological distress among the children of Holocaust survivors (Canada’s Mental Health, Vol. 14). From then on, research has constantly assessed anxiety, depression, and PTSD in trauma survivors and their descendants. Holocaust survivors were the most intensively studied group over a certain period of time.
Although there’s no specific diagnosis in the DSM-V for generational trauma, there are certain symptoms that can give us an insight onto the impact of generational trauma that can manifest in several ways in our daily lives. Affecting individuals’ mental health, coping mechanisms and interpersonal relationships are the first few manifestations of generational trauma that come to mind. The trauma translating into our lives may not only be through direct experiences but also through the genetics, epigenetics, family environment, learned behaviors, and cultural practices.