Importantly, the potential reversible nature of epigenetic modifications suggests that these trauma-induced epigenetic effects are not necessarily permanent and that improvements in environmental conditions could reduce the high prevalence of poor health among historically disadvantaged communities.ĭevelopmental programming Embodiment Epigenetics Health disparities Historical trauma Indigenous health Intergenerational effects Intergenerational trauma.Ĭopyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. Taken together, these pathways can provide insight into the higher rates of adverse health outcomes among individuals from populations that have historically endured collective trauma. The second pathway posits that poor health can occur through intergenerational epigenetic modifications in response to parental and grandparental trauma or stressor exposures. Studies about the role of ACEs in the intergenerational and community transmission of trauma have primarily focused on large-scale trauma such as the Holocaust PTSD among veterans of war and historical, systematic, and generational trauma 19,20,21,22. The first pathway suggests that personal exposure to trauma or stressors, which are more common among populations that have experienced historical trauma, can induce epigenetic modifications that can contribute to the development of poor health. Trauma psychologist Elena Cherepanov, PhD, of Cambridge College in Boston, has been examining how survivors’ initial reactions to an event may affect future generationsa topic outlined in her upcoming book, tentatively titled Understanding the Transgenerational Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes: Paradoxes of Survivorship. In this paper, we present a cumulative, two pathway model that describes how historical trauma can impact health in contemporary generations. Recognizing trauma in the interconnectedness of the world. However, the biological pathways through which historical trauma actually impacts health have been unclear. This type of process, which links the inner work of confronting intergenerational trauma with social change focused on its effects, is an effective way to both enhance well-being for change makers and broaden the reach of social change. The theory of historical trauma, which argues that a collective trauma experienced by one generation can negatively impact the wellbeing of future generations, is a potential framework to understand the adverse health outcomes seen among populations with histories of subjugation. Despite their unique histories, environments, and lifestyles, historically subjugated populations consistently show poorer health outcomes compared to the general population.
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