Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Yükseköğretim Kurumları Destekli Proje, 2018 - 2019
"There have been vast amount of research on trauma ad its influence on the victim’s psychological and social well-being (Bezo & Maggi, 2005, Danieli, 1997, Daud, Skoglund & Rydelius, 2005, van der Kolk, 1994, Yehuda et al., 2005). We know from the trauma literature that traumatic experiences are strongly associated with psychological problems such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, Yehuda, Bell, Bierer and Schmeidler, 2008), anxiety disorder (Zalihi?, Zalihi? & Pivi?, 2008) and depression (Yehuda, Kahana, Southwick & Giller Jr, 1994). Traumatic events not only affect the persons directly exposed to event but also influence significant others such as family, friends, and caregivers (Leen-Feldner et al., 2013). In other words trauma can be transmitted to others. “Secondary traumatization” (Rosenheck & Nathan, 1985), “secondary traumatic stress” (Figley, 1995), “covictimization” (Hartsough & Myers, 1985), “secondary survivor” (Remer & Elliot, 1988), “traumatic countertransference” (Herman, 1992), and “vicarious traumatization” (McCann & Pearlman, 1990) are some of the terms being used to describe transmission of trauma. Transgenerational transmission of trauma is a specific instance which refers to impact of trauma within the family (Figley, 2012, van der Kolk, 1994). The research on transgenerational transmission of trauma mostly rely on Holocaust survivors’ families (Danieli, 1998, Figley, 2012, Fossion et al., 2014, Fossion et. al., 2015, Karenian et al., 2010, Kidd, 2005, Lev-Wiese, 2007, Weingarten, 2004), combat veterans’ children (Kulka et al., 1990, Heart, 2003), and terrorist attacks (Yehuda et al., 2005). These studies mostly focused on whether children of trauma victims had symptoms such as PTSD, depression, anxiety or behavioral problems (Fossion et al., 2015, Wittekind, Jelinek, Moritz, Muhtz & Berna, 2016). Most of these studies provided mixed results, while some reported increased psychopathology in the children of the trauma survivors (Bezo & Maggi, 2015, Daud, Skoglund & Rydelius, 2005), others have found no evidence for psychopathology (Burchert, Stammel & Knaevelsrud, 2016, Yahyavi, Zarghami & Marwah, 2014, Zalihi?, Zalihi? & Pivi?, 2008). Intergenerational transmission of trauma research are heavily focused on human-caused trauma. But, relatively, less is known about how trauma caused by natural disasters is transmitted across generations. Both human-caused and natural disasters lead to destruction, loss of lives, and both have enduring effects on one’s life, regardless of the source of destruction, a traumatic event is always crucial to one’s life story (Halpern & Tramontin, 2007). Yet, some studies on primary trauma exposure suggest that one’s responses to a trauma change depending on whether the traumatic event is human-caused or natural. Some research suggest human-caused traumas result in more severe psychopathology than natural disasters (Costello, Angold, March & Fairbank 1998, Loo, 1993, Stewart, 1996). On the other hand, Rubonis and Bickman’s review (1991) and some other researchers (Goodman & West-Olatunji, 2008, Raphael, 1986) reported the opposite. Therefore, it is very likely that what is transmitted from parents to children might vary among human-caused traumatic events and natural disasters. Finally, psychopathology was commonly studied as a form of traumatic transmission. While the legacy may be a disorder or psychopathology for some, others may inherit some dysfunctional cognitions, emotions or behavioral patterns from their parents or prior generations. It would also be interesting to study whether trauma can be transmitted as forms of dysfunctional cognitions, emotions or behavioral patterns. To our knowledge, there is no systematic research on the relationship between parental trauma and children’s dysfunctional cognitions, emotions and behavioral patterns. Given the aforementioned gaps in the literature, the present study aims to investigate transgenerational transmission of trauma among 1999 Marmara Earthquake Survivors by focusing on children’s dysfunctional cognitions, emotions or behavioral patterns. Transmission of trauma will be studied by collecting data about survivors’ children’s metacognitions, emotions and behaviors and comparing these data to those of mildly affected and totally unaffected groups. In addition, we will investigate to what extent parental exposure to earthquake is related to children’s inclusion of ‘the Earthquake event’ into the biographical knowledge about their parents. The sample will consist of 80 adolescents. 40 of them will include participants whose parents were greatly affected from the 1999 Marmara Earthquake, and the remaining 40 will serve as a control group whose parents were not directly exposed to the 1999 Marmara Earthquake. All adolescents should be born between 2000 and 2005. Some measurements will also be collected from mother and fathers as well. The present project aims to contribute to the literature in two ways. First, transmission of trauma will be investigated in terms of cognitive, metacognitive, emotional and behavioral outcomes. As stated earlier, previous research mainly focused on transmission of PTSD and revealed inconsistent findings. Second, what is transmitted from parents to children will be studied within the context of a natural disaster"