The effects of parental unresolved trauma on second generation Cambodian adolescents

In the Holocaust literature, considerable attention has been given to the psychological impact of Holocaust survivors' trauma on their offspring. There is some evidence to show that parenting styles and parent-child communication regarding the Holocaust are important mechanisms through which survivors' trauma affects the psychological adjustment in their offspring. The present study extends this work to a Cambodian context in focusing on intergenerational effects of trauma stemming from the Khmer Rouge regime. Specifically, the effects of parental unresolved trauma, in terms of the mother's PTSD symptoms, on second generation Cambodian adolescents were examined. Extrapolating from the findings in the Holocaust literature on second generation effects of trauma, it was hypothesized that the severity of the mother's trauma symptoms stemming from the Khmer Rouge regime would be predictive of her child's level of psychological distress, and that this relationship would be mediated by parenting style and parent-child communication. It was also predicted that the child's level of bicultural identity integration would serve as a protective factor in moderating the impact of the mother's trauma such that a child with a higher level of bicultural identity integration would be less negatively psychologically affected.;Thirty-two mothers and thirty-two children were recruited as participants. For eligibility, mothers were required to have first hand experience of the Khmer Rouge regime. In contrast, the children were required to have no first hand experience of the Khmer Rouge regime. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between mother's trauma symptoms and her role reversing parenting style and guilt inducing communication pattern. Further, there was a significant positive relationship between mother's role reversal and child's depression, anxiety, and interpersonal problems. Also, mother's role reversal mediated mother's trauma symptoms and child's depression and interpersonal problems. Next, a significant positive relationship was found between mother's guilt inducing communication and child's depression and anxiety. In addition, mother's guilt inducing communication mediated mother's trauma and child's depression. Finally, higher bicultural identity integration resulted in less interpersonal problems for the child. Also, bicultural identity integration appeared to moderate the impact of mother's trauma symptoms on child's anxiety.;Such findings propose the imperative nature of understanding the underlying mechanism of intergenerational transmission of trauma. Additionally, such findings suggest that clinical interventions with Cambodian refugee parents and their children should focus on treating the whole family as a system and not just the child's psychological distress. More specifically, treatment should emphasize parenting styles and communication patterns, as well as the parents' unresolved trauma issues of grief and loss.