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May 05 2018

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: Toward Cultural Competence: Understanding Vicarious Group Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma in Jewish Individuals

Author Susan Vaught Categories Uncategorized

 

The concept of vicarious group trauma is relevant for Jewish individuals because people who did not directly experience the Holocaust can still exhibit signs and symptoms of trauma exposure related to this event. Fuhr (2016) studied historical trauma related to Jewish individuals who lived in Britain. The researcher defined vicarious group trauma as, “A life or safety-threatening event or abuse that happened to some members of a social group, but is felt by other members as their own experience because of their personal affiliation with the group.” The research noted that these individuals can experience anxiety, perceptions of threat and hypervigilance simply due to their identification to the group, due to the magnitude of the trauma inflicted upon the group as a whole.

 

Cohn and Morrison (2017) found that in their sample, the trauma of the participants’ grandparents’ Holocaust experience impacted their own affective experience, their sense of connection to family history, their understanding of being different than others, and their political and ethnic values. Further, Abrams (1999) reported that when conducting therapeutic interventions, silence was a significant clinical feature in Jewish families contending with traumatic experiences. Survivors of a major historical trauma who remain silent are often condemned to desiccated existence, whereas those who speak out are susceptible to somatic consequences, psychosis, or even suicide (Rosenblum, 2009).

When conducting psychological treatment with people who are Jewish, it is important to be mindful of the historical trauma Jewish individuals have faced, and the fact that they may define themselves in collective manners as a part of a group of their ancestors who survived the Holocaust (Cohn & Morrison, 2017). Additionally, it is important to encompass thoughts about the effect on the individual level, the family level, and the environmental level, and confront patterns of the family that maintain burnout in the environment, as well as bring about appropriate structural change within the family to allow for safe expression and healing (Abrams, 1999). Abrams (1999) also noted that fostering open communication between older generations and younger generations can provide critical understanding and relief to families, lessening these collective effects.

 

References
Abrams, M. (1999). Intergenerational transmission of trauma: Recent contributions from the literature of family system approaches to treatment. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 53 (2), 225-231.

 

Cohn, I. G., & Morrison, N. M. (2017). Echoes of transgenerational trauma in the lived    experiences of Jewish Australian grandchildren of holocaust survivors. Australian Journal Of Psychology, doi:10.1111/ajpy.12194

 

Fuhr, C. (2016). Vicarious Group Trauma among British Jews. Qualitative Sociology, 39(3), 309-330. doi:10.1007/s11133-016-9337-4

 

Rosenblum, R. (2009). Postponing trauma: The dangers of telling. The International Journal Of Psychoanalysis, 90(6), 1319-1340. doi:10.1111/j.1745- 8315.2009.00171.x

 

Katy Roth, M.A., CRC
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

 

May 05 2018

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: Toward Cultural Competence: Understanding Historical/Generational Trauma of African Americans

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Diversity In Practice, Friday Factoids, Mental Health and Wellness, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

Historical trauma is relevant to examine regarding African Americans because those who never experienced the traumatic stressor themselves, such as children and descendants of people who experienced race-based genocide/slavery, can still exhibit signs and symptoms of trauma. In the United States alone, African Americans have experienced over 350 years of oppression, generations of discrimination, slavery, colonialism, imperialism, racism, race-based segregation and poverty (Ross, n.d.).

 

In addition, African Americans currently are exposed to frequent and even multiple daily microaggressions, which are defined as, “Events involving discrimination, racism, and daily hassles that are targeted at individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups” (Michaels, 2010). “Racial microaggressions are brief and commonplace, and include daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color,” (Sue, Capodilupo, Torino, Bucceri, Holder, Nadal, & Esquilin, 2007). The impact of historical and generational trauma can affect people of color such that internal impressions/views of self begin to skew, and negative behavior and emotions such as anger, hatred, and aggression become self-inflicted, as well as imposed on members of one’s own group (Ross, n.d.).

 

Stigma related to mental illness also impacts views on mental health and help-seeking behaviors because African Americans who received services, as well as those with no prior experience with mental health services, associated these supports with embarrassment and shame (Thompson, Bazile & Akbar 2004). The researchers also found that African American participants in mental health services have mistrust around mental health practitioners, and that it may be challenging for psychologists and psychotherapists to be free of the attitudes and the beliefs of the larger society, especially due to stereotypes.

 

Asbury, Walker, Belgrave, Maholmes, and Green (1994) found that perceptions of provider competence, self-esteem, emotional support, and attitudes toward seeking services were significant predictors of seeking service. In addition, racial similarity, perception of provider competence, and perceptions of the service process determined continued participation. Pole, Gone, and Kulkarni, (2008) and Sue (1998) found that overall, African-Americans attended average to fewer sessions (underutilize services), as well as terminated from services earlier than European Americans.

 

When conducting psychological interventions with African Americans it is important to be mindful of their cultural beliefs, as well as current oppression (stereotypes) faced by this population, and to be culturally sensitive to the issues and experiences that the African-American community has historically confronted, and continues to experience (Ross, n.d.). When conducting psychological treatment with people of color, it is important to be mindful of the historical and generational trauma African Americans have faced, as well as keeping in mind how internal oppression can impact their views on mental health and help-seeking behaviors.

 

References
Asbury, C. A., Walker, S., Belgrave, F. Z., Maholmes, Green, L. (1994). Psychosocial,     cultural, and accessibility factors associated with participation of African  Americans in rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Psychology, 39, 113-121.

 

Michaels, C. (2010). Historical trauma and microagressions: A framework for culturally-  based practice. Children, Youth & Family Consortium’s Children’s Mental Health Program. Retrieved from http://www.cmh.umn.edu/ereview/Oct10.html

 

Pole, N., Gone, J. P., & Kulkarni, M. (2008). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among  Ethnoracial Minorities in the United States. Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice, 15(1), 35-61. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.2008.00109.x

 

Ross, K. (n. d). Impacts of historical trauma on African Americans and its effects on help-seeking behaviors. Presentation. Missouri Psychological Association.

 

Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal,     K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.

 

Sue, S. (1998). In search of cultural competence in psychotherapy and counseling. American Psychologist, 53(4), 440-448.

Thompson, V. L., Bazile, A. & Akbar, M.D. (2004). African American’s Perceptions of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapists. Professional Psychology: Research and  Practice, 35, 19-26.

 

Katy Roth, M.A., CRC
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

May 05 2018

Friday Factoids Catchup: Toward Cultural Competence: Understanding Historical/Generational Trauma for Native Americans

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Diversity In Practice, Friday Factoids, Mental Health and Wellness, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

 

Native Americans have been facing psychological consequences of genocide for over 400 years. Due to colonization and military attacks, Native Americans have been subjected to one of the most systemic and brutal ethnic cleansing operations in history. They were relocated to penal colonies, neglected, starved, forbidden to practice their religious beliefs, and their children were taken away from them and reeducated so that much of their language, culture and kinship patterns were lost (Whitbeck, Adams, Hoyt, & Chen, 2004).  In addition, the researchers note that the threats of their lives and cultures being obliterated has become progressive, increasing as each generation passes away. One elder noted, “I feel bad about it. Tears come down. That is how I feel. I feel weak. I feel weak about how we are losing our grandchildren.”

 

Native Americans still are faced with daily reminders of this violent erasure of self and community, such as reservation living, encroachment on their reservation land, loss of language, loss of traditional practice, and loss of healing practices (Whitbeck, Adams, Hoyt, & Chen, 2004). The Indian Health Service (1995) noted that Native American alcoholism death rate was 5.5 times the national average. One can argue that this population is drinking as a means of coping with the historical and generational trauma, as well as the daily reminders of the trauma they experience. Whitbeck, Adams, Hoyt, and Chen, 2004 supported this theory, indicating that daily reminders of ethnic cleansing coupled with persistent discriminations are the keys to understanding historical trauma among Native people.

 

When conducting psychological treatment with this population it is important to be mindful of the historical and generational trauma Native Americans have faced, as well as keeping in mind the role their culture plays. Brave Heart and DeBruyn (1998) highlight that when conducting psychological treatment it is important to recognize that Native Americans incorporate spiritual empowerment and utilize traditional healing ceremonies, which have a natural therapeutic and cathartic effect for spiritual, physical and emotional healing. Many tribes need to conduct specific grief ceremonies, not only for recent deaths, but also historical traumas, including but not limited to the loss of sacred objects being repatriated, mourning for human remains of ancestors, loss of rights to raise children in their cultural norms, and loss of land.  Bridging both evidence-based treatment (EBT) and culturally sensitive approaches in this population appears advantageous. Gone (2009) found, “Both in Northern Algonquian and other Native community contexts, the therapeutic emphasis often remains on healing rather than treatment.” McCabe (2007) supported this finding, indicating that Native healing goes beyond the meaning of distress and coping, to fostering a robust sense of well-being, a strong Aboriginal identification, cultural reclamation, purposeful living and spiritual well-being. Native Americans may not be fond of formal outcome assessment or therapeutic interventions, and find it a distraction from the provision of services ( (Gone, 2011).

 

References
Brave Heart, M., & DeBruyn, L. (1998). The American Indian holocaust: healing historical unresolved grief. American Indian & Alaska Native Mental Health        Research: The Journal Of The National Center, 8(2), 56-78.

Gone, J. P. (2009). A Community-Based Treatment for Native American Historical          Trauma: Prospects for Evidence-Based Practice. Journal Of Consulting &        Clinical Psychology, 77(4), 751-762. doi:10.1037/a0015390

Gone J. P. (2011). The red road to wellness: Cultural reclamation in a Native First             Nations community treatment center. American Journal of Community    Psychology 47(1–2):187–202

Indian Health Service. (1995). Trends in Indian health. U.S. Department of Health and     Human Services. Washington, DC.

McCabe, G. H. (2007). The healing path: A culture and community-derived indigenous    therapy model. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 44, 148–      160.

Whitbeck, L. B., Adams, G. W., Hoyt, D. R., & Chen, X. (2004). Conceptualizing and      Measuring Historical Trauma Among American Indian People. American Journal Of Community Psychology, 33(3/4), 119-130.

 

Katy Roth, M.A., CRC
WKPIC Doctoral Intern