
Author links open overlay panel
aThe Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
bHamilton, Ontario, Canada
Received 12 October 2018, Revised 18 November 2018, Accepted 18 November 2018, Available online 19 November 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.040
Highlights
• The sample included Tutsi genocide survivors and their offspring.
• Parental PTSD and CPTSD were related to offspring secondary traumatization.
• Parental CPTSD was related to lower resilience among both survivors and offspring.
Abstract
The research on survivors of genocide has focused on PTSD, but complex PTSD (CPTSD) and its potential effect on intergenerational transmission are understudied. This study assessed complex PTSD and resilience among Tutsi genocide survivors (n = 60, mean age = 52.27 [SD = 6.27]) and their offspring (n = 60, mean age = 21.21 [SD = 1.78]). Offspring of parents suffering from PTSD or CPTSD reported more secondary traumatization symptoms relative to offspring of parents without PTSD (p < 0.0001). Moreover, parental CPTSD was related to lower resilience among both survivors and offspring (p < 0.0001). The current findings suggest that parental CPTSD may have broader influences manifested in offspring lower resilience.
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