International Handbook Of Multigenerational Legacies Of Trauma

In this extraordinary new text, the contributors explore the enduring legacy of such social shocks as war, genocide, slavery, tyranny, crime, and disease. Among the cases addressed are: instances of genocide in Turkey, Cambodia, and Russia, the plight of the families of Holocaust survivors, atomic bomb survivors in Japan, and even the children of Nazis, the long-term effects associated with the Vietnam War and the war in Yugoslavia, and the psychology arising from the legacy of slavery in America.

This work is a vital set of insights and guidelines that will contribute to more aware and meaningful practice for mental health professionals. Focusing equally on theoretical concepts, culturally valid assessment methods, and cultural adaptation in trauma and resilience, an array of experts present the cutting edge of research and strategies. Extended case studies illustrate an informative range of symptom profiles, comorbid conditions, and coping skills, as well as secondary traumas that can occur in asylum seekers.

In the midst of great crisis, it is difficult to contemplate the future. In recent decades, determining what kind of future to imagine has been an ongoing challenge for millions of people around the world who have been subjected to war, terrorism, and civil disorder. While destruction of the environment has long been part of warfare, it has become increasingly important as environmental pressures have intensified in our time. Focusing on the challenges and issues that arise for those contemplating a way forward in the wake of catastrophic upheavals, Sustainable Development in Crisis Conditions takes a broad-based and integrative approach. What emerges is that the post-WWII reconstruction or nation-building perspectives are inadequate and inappropriate to most of the contemporary post-conflict challenges--a successful response requires a sustainable development approach, and Sustainable Development in Crisis Conditions is a preliminary exploration of this complex subject.

Understanding the Transgenerational Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes examines the ways in which the cultural memory of surviving totalitarianism can continue to shape individual and collective vulnerabilities as well as build strength and resilience in subsequent generations. The author uses her personal experience of growing up in the former Soviet Union and professional expertise in global trauma to explore how the psychological legacy of totalitarian regimes influences later generations’ beliefs, behaviors, and social and political choices. The book offers interdisciplinary perspectives on the complex aftermath of societal victimization in different cultures and discusses survivors’ experiences. Readers will find practical tools that can be used in family therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and peace building to recognize and challenge preconceived assumptions stemming from cultural trauma. This book equips trauma-minded mental health professionals with an understanding of the transgenerational toxicity of totalitarianism and with strategies for becoming educated consumers of cultural legacy.

This volume presents cutting-edge work in cross-cultural psychiatry by an international group of clinicians, researchers, and leaders in mental health policy. The book grew out of a recent lecture series at the Massachusetts General Hospital and features contributions from diverse fields including psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, social work, social medicine, and public policy. The first section highlights the implications of biological and cultural diversity for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Subsequent sections focus on psychotherapy in cross-cultural contexts and international mental health policy. Chapters examine a variety of patient populations, including Asian, African, and Hispanic Americans and populations in Europe and developing countries.

A study of the generation of Germans dealing with the psychological effects of the parents’ and grandparents’ experiences during and after World War II. How is it possible for people who were born in a time of relative peace and prosperity to suddenly discover war as a determining influence on their lives? For decades to speak openly of German suffering during World War II—to claim victimhood in a country that had victimized millions—was unthinkable. But in the past few years, growing numbers of Germans in their 40s and 50s calling themselves Kriegsenkel, or Grandchildren of the War, have begun to explore the fundamental impact of the war on their present lives and mental health. Their parents and grandparents experienced bombardment, death, forced displacement, and the shame of the Nazi war crimes. The Kriegsenkel feel their own psychological struggles—from depression, anxiety disorders, and burnout to broken marriages and career problems—are the direct consequences of unresolved war experiences passed down through their families. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, and a broad range of scholarship, Lina Jakob considers how the Kriegsenkel movement emerged at the nexus between public and familial silences about World War II, and critically discusses how this new collective identity is constructed and addressed within the framework of psychology and Western therapeutic culture. “This complex story is engagingly told through highly readable life histories and analysis, and provides much to think about concerning the aftermath of traumatic histories.” —Francesca Merlan “Jakob brilliantly traces the transgenerational impact of World War II, and the trauma and shame of Germany’s dark past that still haunts individuals and scars families. A searing inquiry into the multilayered meanings of public rituals, social memories and emotional suffering of a generation—painfully struggling with the inheritance of war and loss. An outstanding achievement.” —Assa Doron

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