Understanding and Managing the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma

Written by Vanessa Williams, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

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What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma describes the transmission of trauma between the generations in a family¹. The emotional and behavioural reactions of those affected can be transmitted throughout the generations and come to affect you². Adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or parental mental health conditions play a large role in the transmission of this trauma, as those who experienced such events during childhood may pass on their effects to their children and grandchildren through their genes, their behaviour, or a combination of both³. These can negatively impact individuals in a variety of domains, including emotionally, mentally, and physically, leaving the subsequent generations at an increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other emotional and mental health challenges¹. 

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How it is Transmitted 

When an individual experiences a trauma, the memories of that incident stay with them, as does the worldview that becomes established for them following a traumatic event. This individual’s parenting style can be influenced as a result, such as through diminished attachment skills, less patience, and the communicating of messages and lessons to their children that contain stress or anxiety. Such events can impact one’s relationship skills, attitudes, and beliefs, that affect future generations of their family². Children tend to pick up on cues in their parents. This affects the child’s outlook as well¹. When the parents’ trauma impacts their parenting skills, this may also shape their children’s behavioural problems². Because children learn to understand the world and their environment through their caregivers, they can become profoundly impacted by the behaviours their parents model; furthermore, they learn to navigate relationships in a similar manner to how they learn to relate to their parents⁴. The effects of trauma on a parent can therefore impact the child’s coping mechanisms that are employed to avoid or fix what they perceive as the parent’s problematic behaviours that stem from the trauma, such as anxiety, anger, or neglect⁴. 

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Genetics Can Play a Role 

You are the product of ongoing interactions occurring between your genes and your experiences⁵. Trauma can change the way genes are expressed, with such expressions at the genetic level possibly being passed onto subsequent generations¹. Individuals’ genetic material changes in response to the life experiences they undergo; these experience-induced changes are then relayed to future generations⁵. The trauma experienced by the index generation is relayed via genetic adaptation and becomes ingrained in the genetic material that is passed onto successive generations⁶. 

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Impacts of Intergenerational Trauma

Trauma reactions can include increased vulnerability and helplessness, low self-esteem, difficulty in relationships and forming attachments with others, and extreme reactivity to stress⁶. Maternal stress and trauma, especially, can lead to health consequences for both mother and child during pregnancy, delivery, and later in life⁴. The effects of intergenerational trauma are similar to that of PTSD⁴. 

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Overcoming Intergenerational Trauma 

It is necessary to recognize the unhealed initial trauma, identity its source, and address it. Some research even suggests that for parents and grandparents who suffered significant trauma, openly discussing this trauma with their children and grandchildren can help to break the cycle and foster resilience¹. Epigenetic changes affect how DNA is transcribed but does not change the DNA sequence as a gene mutation would². Therefore, it is possible to reverse such epigenetic influences of the intergenerational trauma. Working with a therapist can help you to break your silence, understand the beliefs you hold surrounding your trauma, and learn helpful coping techniques⁷. It is a great undertaking, but the cycle of intergenerational trauma is possible to break. 

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Author's note: The content in this article is for educational purposes only. Please speak with a healthcare provider to obtain appropriate recommendations for any mental health concerns.