Transgenerational Trauma and Mental Health Needs among Armenian Genocide Descendants

Alissa Der Sarkissian and Jill D. Sharkey
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Alissa Der Sarkissian: Department of Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
Jill D. Sharkey: Department of Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-10

Abstract: The trauma of a genocide can be transmitted to subsequent generations though familial mental health, sociopolitical trauma, and cultural narratives, thereby impacting mental health and well-being. Understanding specific mechanisms that are unique to each ethnic group impacted by genocide illuminates cultural, sociopolitical, and individual factors related to the transmission. For the Armenian community, the unresolved historical loss of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, with the threat of acculturation for such a large diasporic population, a continued denial by the perpetrators, as well as subsequent generations’ refugee experiences, may further exasperate the impact of transgenerational trauma from the genocide. This literature review explores the mental health needs of Armenian youth in the current sociopolitical context and provides implications for how schools and communities may use this knowledge to inform supports that center Armenian community healing. Future directions for research are also discussed.

Keywords: Armenian mental health; transgenerational trauma; genocide survivor; refugee; multicultural school psychology; trauma-informed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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