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Sons and Daughters of Jewish Holocaust Survivors
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Sons and Daughters of Jewish Holocaust Survivors
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Offspring of Severely Traumatized Parents Vulnerable to Psychological
Distress
(Submitted by Miriam Raviv, Ph.D.)
WESTPORT, June 27 (Reuters Health) - Second generation Holocaust survivors
react with extreme psychological distress when faced with a life-threatening
illness such as cancer, according to results of an Israeli study.
Dr. Lea Baider of the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem and
associates compared 106 breast cancer patients who were the adult offspring
of Holocaust survivors with 102 similar patients whose parents were not in
the Holocaust. Results are reported in the June issue of the American Journal
of Psychiatry.
Scores on the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale were similar between the two
groups, suggesting that both groups were coping equally well with their
illness.
However, the second-generation holocaust survivors scored extremely high on
the intrusion and avoidance subscales of the Impact of Event Scale. In
interpreting the results regarding intrusion, the authors state, "It could be
suggested that people for whom emotions act as an internal stimulus who
recall unresolved threats may perceive any additional emotional threat as
intrusive."
The investigators also suggest that these individuals experience emotions as
"overwhelming and disorganizing forces that should be avoided and
controlled."
Results of the Brief Symptom Inventory showed the offspring of Holocaust
survivors scored significantly higher than the comparison group. The "grand
severity index score" was 66 for the second generation and 54 for the comparison group. Scores on somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, and
psychoticism were high enough to be considered in the range of
psychopathology.
These findings reinforce those of previous studies in that vulnerability to
affective and anxiety disorders is transmitted to the offspring.
The investigators conclude, "The fact that the traumatized parents were
exposed over a long period to uncontrollable and extreme situations could
result in the transmission of an intrusive-avoidant coping style to their
children to such a degree that it became in integral part of their
personality."
Am J Psychiatry 2000;157:904-910.
Second Generation has a successful psycho-social support group which currently meets every other Tuesday, from
7-9:00 PM and is facilitated by a licensed therapist. The group meets at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.
To participate, you must be a paid member in good standing of Second Generation. There is a $5.00 fee per meeting to
reimburse the facilitator's time. To sign up or for more information, contact Klara Firestone,
kfire413@aol.com
All the Generations Before Me
by -Yehuda Amichai
All the generations before me
donated me, bit by bit, so that I ‘d be
erected all at once
here in Jerusalem, like a house of prayer
or charitable institution.
It binds. My name’s
my donors’ name.
It binds.
I’m approaching the age
of my father’s death. My last
wills patched with many patches.
I have to change my life and death
daily to fulfill all the prophesies
prophesied for me.
So they’re not lies.
It binds.
I’ve passed forty.
There are jobs I cannot get
because of this. Were I in Auschwitz
they would not send me out to work,
but gassed me straight away.
It binds.
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