Abstract

This article is based on a qualitative research study that explored the impact of trauma experienced by child Holocaust survivors who were interned in concentration camps for periods of time during their childhood/adolescence. A conceptual model of a traumatic bereavement was developed based on the analysis of in-depth, repeated interviews conducted with nine elderly survivors. Despite the passing of many decades the impact of Holocaust related trauma exposure was evident in the narratives of child survivors both in the form of traumatic stress symptoms and features of traumatic bereavement. The term catastrophic grief is proposed to properly capture the devastation and despair associated with the scale and complexity of Holocaust related loss in child survivors. Catastrophic grief appeared to be compounded by associated affects. The authors suggest the presence of a “Trauma Trilogy” in these child Holocaust survivors, consisting of interlinked difficulties in dealing with catastrophic grief, survivor guilt and anger, that are intimately entwined and appear central to catastrophic loss. This constellation of suffering inevitably contributed to leanings toward despair in the negotiation of Erikson’s final life conflict phase of integrity versus despair.

摘要

本文基于一项定性研究，该研究探讨了儿童大屠杀幸存者在童年/青春期期间被关押在集中营一段时间所经历的创伤的影响。基于对九名老年幸存者进行的深入、反复访谈的分析，开发了创伤性丧亲的概念模型。尽管几十年过去了，大屠杀相关的创伤暴露的影响在儿童幸存者的叙述中以创伤性压力症状和创伤性丧亲的特征的形式表现得很明显。灾难性悲痛一词建议适当地捕捉与儿童幸存者大屠杀相关损失的规模和复杂性相关的破坏和绝望。相关的影响似乎加剧了灾难性的悲痛。作者认为这些儿童大屠杀幸存者存在“创伤三部曲”，包括处理灾难性悲痛、幸存者内疚和愤怒方面的相互关联的困难，这些困难紧密交织，似乎是灾难性损失的核心。在埃里克森最后的人生冲突阶段（正直与绝望）的谈判中，这种痛苦的组合不可避免地导致了绝望的倾向。