Written By: Hansika Prasanth
What is Intergenerational Trauma?
Intergenerational trauma, also known as generational or transgenerational trauma, refers to the transmission of traumatic experiences and their effects from one generation to the next. It develops when younger generations inherit the trauma experienced by their parents or grandparents. This can occur if a parent was abused as a child—physically, emotionally, mentally, or both—and the cycle of trauma and abuse affects the parent's approach to parenting. Generational trauma usually happens over a long time and is transmitted from parent to child
through the parent's unresolved mental health struggles.
Trauma Transmission Through Epigenetics and Family Behaviors
- Epigenetic Transmission
Epigenetics studies how environmental influences, such as trauma, can affect gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence. Genes, especially those linked to stress response, emotional control, and mental health, can alter in response to trauma. Research has indicated that traumatic events, including but not limited to abuse, war, or natural disasters, can result in epigenetic changes, including alterations in DNA methylation patterns. These changes may be inherited by children, making teenagers more susceptible to mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, or depression.
- Behavioral Transmission
In addition to biological factors, trauma gets transmitted through behavioral and emotional patterns. Children may grow up in a stressful environment when their parents struggle with managing emotions, attachment, and supportive behaviors as an effect of their traumatic experiences. As a result, teenagers may acquire unhealthy coping mechanisms like emotional distancing, hypervigilance, or trouble trusting people, which may have a long-term negative impact on their psychological growth.
What are the long-term effects?
One may suffer from intergenerational trauma in several ways. The responses may vary depending on the generation, but they may include:
Depression
Low self-esteem
Anxiety
Mood dysregulation
Substance addiction
Difficulty concentrating
High risk for suicide
Overwhelming feelings of self-doubt or worthlessness
Difficulty managing aggressive emotions
Severe reactions to stress
Feeling helpless or exposed
Fear of attachment
Trouble developing relationships
Damaged cultural identity
Nevertheless, a lot of people do not show any obvious signs of the trauma that their ancestors experienced.
Family Dynamics
The relationships within the family are crucial in the continual impact of trauma. Families who have experienced trauma may have limited communication because of implicit rules that restrict talking about past traumas. Teens who experience trauma may find it difficult to manage their own emotional experiences due to their parents' tendency to either become overly protective or emotionally unavailable. Additionally, adolescents may take on parental roles and caregiving
responsibilities, which reverses the normal parent-child dynamic and complicates their psychological growth.
Cultural and Societal Factors
Cultural and social factors greatly influence the experiences and management of
intergenerational trauma. Trauma is frequently associated with shared experiences of colonization, oppression, war, or displacement. For example, people who are descended from enslaved populations, refugees, or Indigenous peoples may still be dealing with cultural trauma that is worsened by continuous discrimination or prejudice in society. Teens find it more difficult to obtain mental health assistance or feel comfortable sharing their experiences because of these external cultural influences that intensify internal family issues.
The Genetic and Neurological Impact of Generational Trauma
A person's DNA reacts to trauma by turning on genes that help them survive stressful situations. Genes that prepare us for things like a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response will activate to help us be ready for future harmful situations. Subconsciously or consciously, an individual can then pass on these genes to their family members to equip them for potentially dangerous events. These examples of generational trauma can become imprinted into a growing child's neural
pathways and show up as trust issues, emotional dysregulation, trouble expressing emotions, and a lingering sense of self-doubt in young adulthood.
Therapeutic Interventions
- Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care focuses on understanding the widespread effects of trauma and identifying each person's unique indications and symptoms. This method places a strong emphasis on providing teenagers with a secure, encouraging, and unbiased atmosphere in which they can start to process trauma from both their personal and familial histories. To facilitate healing, trauma-informed care is broad and entails cooperation between the teenager, their family, and mental health experts.
- Family Therapy
Family Therapy is extremely helpful in treating intergenerational trauma as it enables families to reflect on how trauma has impacted their relationships and communication styles. Methods such as systemic therapy and intergenerational therapy assist families in dealing with unresolved emotional issues that recur frequently, improving communication, and creating healthy coping strategies. Family therapy breaks silent patterns and creates more emotionally supportive environments by supporting parents and teenagers to heal together.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindful Practices
Adolescents who get individual therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness training may learn useful skills for coping with emotional dysregulation, anxiety, and grief. While mindfulness-based therapies promote emotional awareness and self-regulation, cognitive behavioral therapy assists teenagers in recognizing and challenging harmful thinking habits.
Conclusion
Intergenerational trauma has a profound effect on teen mental health through behavioral and biological processes. It is possible to minimize the long-term developmental effects on adolescents by understanding how trauma is passed down through family behaviors and epigenetics, as well as by treating the psychological effects with focused therapeutic treatments. Family therapy, trauma-informed care, and culturally sensitive approaches are key to breaking cycles of trauma and promoting healing across generations.
References
admin. (2023, October 17). The effects of generational trauma on young adults. New Age Psychiatry. https://newagepsychiatry.com/the-effects-of-generational-trauma-on-young-adults
Evolve Treatment Centers. (2021, April 16). How intergenerational trauma impacts children and teens. Evolve Treatment Centers. https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/intergenerational-trauma/
Marschall, A. (2024, May 14). Intergenerational trauma: What you need to know. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-integenerational-trauma-5211898
Starkman, E. (2022, September 9). What is intergenerational trauma? WebMD.
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