My paper entitled “Adult-Onset Trauma and Intergenerational Transmission: Integrating Empirical Data and Psychoanalytic Theory” was just published in the January 2017 issue of the Journal Of International Psychoanalytic Self Psychology (the journal has just been re-named to “Psychoanalysis, Self and Context”).
The paper addresses the impact of trauma that occurs in the lives of adults, and its effects on the children of parents who experienced traumatic events (to which the children themselves were not exposed). Psychoanalytic theory often over-emphasizes the life-long influence of traumatic deprivations, neglect and abuse that occur in early childhood and in particular those that occur in the relationships in the parent-child relationship. However, trauma studies, biological research and epidemiological surveys from around the globe show beyond doubt that adult onset trauma, the result of such experiences as war, terror, and assaults can be devastating for the individual as well as those who live with him, especially spouses and children. Trauma in one parent detracts from intimacy in both spousal relationships and intergenerational relationships. The paper integrates perspectives from within psychoanalytic theories and trauma studies, highlighting the importance of post-trauma family and social support in recovery from PTSD.
The citation of the paper is the following:
Felsen I. “Adult-Onset Trauma and Intergenerational Transmission: Integrating Empirical Data and Psychoanalytic Theory”. Psychoanalysis, Self and Context. 2017-01; 12:60-77.
The paper can be read at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15551024.2017.1251185, or downloaded in pdf format below.
Irit Felsen
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