Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure
Abstract Background The intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from parent to offspring has been suggested in the literature, but this is highly controversial. We aimed to study the association between veterans’ war exposure and lifetime PTSD and the psychological cha...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2019-08-01
|
| Series: | Annals of General Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12991-019-0238-2 |
| _version_ | 1818294614991306752 |
|---|---|
| author | Ivone Castro-Vale Milton Severo Davide Carvalho Rui Mota-Cardoso |
| author_facet | Ivone Castro-Vale Milton Severo Davide Carvalho Rui Mota-Cardoso |
| author_sort | Ivone Castro-Vale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from parent to offspring has been suggested in the literature, but this is highly controversial. We aimed to study the association between veterans’ war exposure and lifetime PTSD and the psychological characteristics of their respective offspring, 40 years after war-related trauma. Methods Forty-four adult offspring of veterans with PTSD and 29 offspring of veterans without PTSD were included in the study, from a total of 46 veterans. War exposure intensity, lifetime PTSD, and the general psychopathology (with Brief Symptom Inventory—BSI) of the veterans were studied, as were childhood trauma, attachment, and the general psychopathology (with BSI) of their offspring. Results Veterans’ war exposure was associated with BSI in the offspring with regard to somatisation (β = 0.025; CI 0.001, 0.050), phobic anxiety (β = 0.014; CI: 0.000, 0.027), Global Severity Index (GSI) (β = 0.022; CI 0.005, 0.038), and Positive Symptom Distress Index (β = 0.020; CI 0.006, 0.033). The fathers’ GSI mediated only 18% of the effect of the veterans’ total war exposure on offspring’s GSI. Fathers’ war exposure was associated with offspring’s physical neglect as a childhood adversity, although non-significantly (p = 0.063). None of the other variables was associated with veterans’ war exposure, and veterans’ lifetime PTSD was not associated with any of the variables studied. Conclusions The offspring of war veterans showed increased psychological suffering as a function of their fathers’ war exposure intensity, but not of their fathers’ lifetime PTSD. These results could be used to suggest that mental health support for veterans’ offspring should consider the war exposure intensity of their fathers, and not just psychopathology. This could spare offspring’s suffering if this mental health support could be delivered early on, after veterans return from war. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:34:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a693a03afa39429c98f27427e1fb9eaf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1744-859X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:34:33Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of General Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-a693a03afa39429c98f27427e1fb9eaf2022-12-22T00:01:05ZengBMCAnnals of General Psychiatry1744-859X2019-08-0118111010.1186/s12991-019-0238-2Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposureIvone Castro-Vale0Milton Severo1Davide Carvalho2Rui Mota-Cardoso3Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do PortoDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do PortoInstituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do PortoMedical Psychology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do PortoAbstract Background The intergenerational transmission of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from parent to offspring has been suggested in the literature, but this is highly controversial. We aimed to study the association between veterans’ war exposure and lifetime PTSD and the psychological characteristics of their respective offspring, 40 years after war-related trauma. Methods Forty-four adult offspring of veterans with PTSD and 29 offspring of veterans without PTSD were included in the study, from a total of 46 veterans. War exposure intensity, lifetime PTSD, and the general psychopathology (with Brief Symptom Inventory—BSI) of the veterans were studied, as were childhood trauma, attachment, and the general psychopathology (with BSI) of their offspring. Results Veterans’ war exposure was associated with BSI in the offspring with regard to somatisation (β = 0.025; CI 0.001, 0.050), phobic anxiety (β = 0.014; CI: 0.000, 0.027), Global Severity Index (GSI) (β = 0.022; CI 0.005, 0.038), and Positive Symptom Distress Index (β = 0.020; CI 0.006, 0.033). The fathers’ GSI mediated only 18% of the effect of the veterans’ total war exposure on offspring’s GSI. Fathers’ war exposure was associated with offspring’s physical neglect as a childhood adversity, although non-significantly (p = 0.063). None of the other variables was associated with veterans’ war exposure, and veterans’ lifetime PTSD was not associated with any of the variables studied. Conclusions The offspring of war veterans showed increased psychological suffering as a function of their fathers’ war exposure intensity, but not of their fathers’ lifetime PTSD. These results could be used to suggest that mental health support for veterans’ offspring should consider the war exposure intensity of their fathers, and not just psychopathology. This could spare offspring’s suffering if this mental health support could be delivered early on, after veterans return from war.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12991-019-0238-2Traumatic eventParental PTSDIntergenerational transmissionOffspringWar |
| spellingShingle | Ivone Castro-Vale Milton Severo Davide Carvalho Rui Mota-Cardoso Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure Annals of General Psychiatry Traumatic event Parental PTSD Intergenerational transmission Offspring War |
| title | Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure |
| title_full | Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure |
| title_fullStr | Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure |
| title_short | Intergenerational transmission of war-related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure |
| title_sort | intergenerational transmission of war related trauma assessed 40 years after exposure |
| topic | Traumatic event Parental PTSD Intergenerational transmission Offspring War |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12991-019-0238-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ivonecastrovale intergenerationaltransmissionofwarrelatedtraumaassessed40yearsafterexposure AT miltonsevero intergenerationaltransmissionofwarrelatedtraumaassessed40yearsafterexposure AT davidecarvalho intergenerationaltransmissionofwarrelatedtraumaassessed40yearsafterexposure AT ruimotacardoso intergenerationaltransmissionofwarrelatedtraumaassessed40yearsafterexposure |