Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio

: 1) The Use of Healing Spaces Following Exposure to Trauma; 2) An Evaluation of Online and In-Person Emotion Regulation Classes in the Student Health Emotion Regulation Pathway; 3) Experiences of Being Parented by Refugees Displaced by Armed Conflict

Abstract

The concept of intergenerational trauma (herein labelled as ‘echoes of trauma’, a term preferred by some authors) has been predominantly studied in the offspring of Jewish Holocaust survivors. The findings of these studies suggest that child-parent relationships and parenting play an important role in the transmission of the echoes of parental trauma. However, few studies have considered these questions with more recent refugee populations displaced by armed conflicts, which differ from the displaced Holocaust survivors in terms of the historical and cultural context. Therefore, this study is concerned with adult offspring’s experiences of having been parented by parents displaced by armed conflicts other than the Holocaust of European Jews.

This study involved semi-structured interviews with four participants exploring their experiences of having been parented by parents displaced by armed conflicts. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, four Group Experiential Themes were derived: “Intergenerational Emotional and Mental Distress”, “Dualities in Parenting”, “Uncertain and Confused Identity”, and “Responsibility for Lasting Legacy”.

The findings depict a complex interplay between individual, familial, and societal factors in the transmission of the echoes of parental trauma. Respondents consistently indicated that the echoes of parental trauma resulted in both distress and posttraumatic growth.

Considerations of how the findings may inform therapy and future research are discussed, particularly the conspiracy to silence, feelings of guilt, and dual cultural identity.

Date of Award	20 Sept 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath