ABSTRACT
For more than seventy years, observational and empirical data have been collected on a unique population at risk because of their parents’ war-time experiences, resulting in extensive and sometimes confusing findings on the transgenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma in survivor families. This chapter presents a critical overview of past research, discusses the current shift from a psychosocial to a neurobiological focus, and suggests avenues for future studies. A comprehensive model of transmission is suggested from a developmental systems perspective that can guide future research in this field with a variety of populations.
