Physical health problems – Trauma can also impact physical health, with intergenerational trauma being associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.These issues can impact individuals across multiple generations, leading to chronic mental health problems requiring ongoing treatment. Mental health conditions – The transmission of trauma can lead to mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.Intergenerational trauma can impact individuals and communities in many different ways: Some people can struggle to manage their symptoms and are unable or unwilling to seek help, therefore passing on their trauma to offspring. Trauma presents itself differently in everyone. Even if the original traumatic event happened long ago, the results could resonate through the years, affecting future generations. Intergenerational trauma has a significant impact on everyone who encounters it. This specific study acknowledged that paternal stress and trauma could influence epigenetic changes. Sons born before the war did not have this decreased life expectancy, and the researchers hypothesised that there was an epigenetic effect on the Y chromosome.

An American study from 2018 looked at the male offspring of Civil War soldiers who spent time as prisoners of war, finding that they were more likely to die before age 45.

One found a consistent correlation between prenatal exposure to famine and diabetes, schizophrenia, and body mass index (BMI). Several studies have focused on how past experiences can affect epigenetics. These changes do not involve changes to the DNA itself but how DNA is regulated. These genetic changes can be influenced by trauma and affect people’s health, including weakening the immune system and increasing the risk of cancer. Epigenetics and Intergenerational TraumaĮpigenetics examines how behaviours and the environment influence our genes. These symptoms can then be passed down from generation to generation, creating a cycle of trauma that can be difficult to break. One study also found that populations who witnessed mass-level trauma such as these had higher levels of disease several generations later. It can affect entire communities, resulting in psychological, emotional, and physical symptoms, including loss or disconnection, anger, shame, and a lack of trust. This trauma can be passed on through traumatic historical events, such as the legacy of slavery, colonialism, or forced assimilation. Intergenerational and historical trauma have a close relationship. This could come in the form of trauma responses – for example, someone whose parents experience dissociative episodes due to their past trauma may grow up with an avoidant attachment style that affects their relationships with their children later in life. Histories of violence, child abuse, or neglect can also influence how people pass down intergenerational trauma. They may pass these symptoms on to their children through their behaviour or genes. Individuals who have experienced these types of traumatic events may be more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression. One way intergenerational trauma can occur is through direct exposure to traumatic events like war, genocide, or natural disasters. People from marginalised groups, or lower socioeconomic backgrounds, may be affected more than others due to prejudice. This can occur in many ways, including transmitting cultural practices, beliefs, and values or brain structure and function changes passed down through genetics.Īnyone can experience intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma is a phenomenon where the effects of trauma are passed down from generation to generation. It can also impact how individuals and communities perceive themselves and their place in the world, affecting their sense of identity, culture, and belonging. It can occur through various mechanisms, including socialisation, cultural norms and practices, and even biological factors. Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of trauma from one generation to the next. Typically, people think of trauma as something that happens to a single person however, trauma can also be transmitted across generations, perpetuating cycles of pain and suffering that can last for decades. Trauma is a complex phenomenon that can have far-reaching effects on individuals, families, and entire communities.

Define intergenerational trauma