The Psychological State of Holocaust Survivors' Offspring: An Epidemiological and Psychodiagnostic Study

Abstract

A review of the psychological literature dealing with the emotional state of Holocaust survivors' offspring (HSO) has yielded conflicting evidence. Whereas clinicians describe HSO as emotionally scarred, and tend to generalise their findings to the population of HSO at large, controlled studies do not lend support to these generalisations, and do not demonstrate widespread psychopathology among HSO. However, the relative frequency of psychological problems among HSO has not been systematically investigated. Nor has the possible existence of a latent vulnerability been investigated. In the present study, the frequency of emotional problems among Holocaust survivors' offspring and their psychodiagnostic patterns were investigated. Holocaust survivors' off spring, aged 5-16 years, did not demonstrate more emotional, behavioural or learning problems than did controls. Moreover, HSO of fathers with low levels of education were referred to a psychoeducational service significantly less frequently than were comparable controls. On psychodiagnostic tests HSO did not show more signs of emotional vulnerability than did controls. Generally, HSO were indistinguishable from controls on all measures, demonstrating good adaptation.