Wellbeing and national identity in three generations of Czech and Slovak Holocaust survivors

Abstract

Subjective wellbeing (SWB) is an important factor of global adjustment. Intergenerational satisfaction in seriously traumatized people has not been studied so far in homogenous populations of Central and Eastern Europe. This study focuses on the SWB in three generations of survivors living in the Czech Republic and Slovakia after World War II (WWII). The focal groups were Holocaust survivors (ages 71–95, n = 47), Holocaust survivors’ children (ages 30–73, n = 86), and their grandchildren (ages 15–48, n = 88), and they were compared to aged-matched groups without Holocaust history. The first and second generation of Holocaust survivors scored significantly lower than the comparison groups in wellbeing, as measured using the Schwartz Outcome Scale-10 (SOS-10). There was no significant difference in life satisfaction in any of the three generations. Within the focal group, identification as Jewish or as also Jewish was comparable in all three generations of Holocaust survivors (74% in the first, 79% in the second, and 66% in the third generation). Holocaust survivors declaring Jewish identity reported lower SWB compared to survivors declaring other than Jewish identity. The focal group generated more national identities than comparisons. The outcomes are discussed in the context of the history of Central and Eastern Europe.

Neurobiological and psychological impact of acute war stress on Ukrainian refugees

“…We previously researched Holocaust survivors and their descendants 70 to 75 years after the extreme stress of war 4,5,6,7,8 ; we were able to show a neurobiological impact on the brain structures in survivors and connectivity differences compared with control groups in the second and third generations. Differences in psychological features were present in all three generations 5,6 . In this study focused on acute and ongoing war-related stress, we questioned whether acute war stress impaired the brain in healthy persons and whether there is a difference between acute war stress and extreme stress that occurred many years ago.…”

“…The psychological and neurobiological impact of acute and ongoing war stress was the target of this study. We previously researched Holocaust survivors and their descendants 70 to 75 years after the extreme stress of war 4,5,6,7,8 ; we were able to show a neurobiological impact on the brain structures in survivors and connectivity differences compared with control groups in the second and third generations. Differences in psychological features were present in all three generations 5,6 .…”

“…We focused on the neurobiological and psychological impact of war-related stress in Ukrainian women. The study is based on our previous research on the lifelong impact of extreme stress in Holocaust survivors 4,5,6,7,8 . We observed that the Holocaust survivors, 70 to 75 years after the war, experienced a significantly higher frequency of depression symptoms and posttraumatic stress symptoms, and lower levels of well-being as compared to a control group.…”

“…The interview and psychological testing were performed by two Ukrainian psychologists who were also war refugees, albeit integrated into Czech society or Masaryk University, and coordinated with an experienced Czech psychologist who had participated in our previous studies and published papers based on our study on the impact of the Holocaust on survivors and two generations of descendants 5,6 . 9 (PCL-C).…”

Lifelong effects of prenatal and early postnatal stress on the hippocampus, amygdala, and psychological states of Holocaust survivors

“…This study is part of a research project focused on the impact of stress on Holocaust survivors (HS) and two generations of their offspring. The investigation was conducted between 2015 and 2022 at the CEITEC Neuroscience Centre at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic 1 , 28 – 31 . Volunteers were recruited through collaboration with local Jewish communities, announcements in the media and social media, on the university website, and through a snowball sampling method.…”