[AGING IN THE SHADOW OF INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF TRAUMA: THE CASE OF OFFSPRING OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS].

Can trauma experienced by previous generations shape the aging process of subsequent generations? This fascinating question is relevant to hundreds of thousands of second generation Holocaust survivors, many of whom are middle-aged or older. Therefore, we need to understand in which cases we can find signs of intergenerational transmission, via which mechanisms, under which conditions, and which aspects of functioning and wellbeing are affected. This paper reviews relevant findings from national studies and studies with parent-offspring dyads. From this review, one can conclude that parental exposure to the Holocaust per se is not associated with less favorable aging among offspring, as most Holocaust survivor families are characterized by an impressive resilience extending across generations. Nevertheless, in some cases, second generation Holocaust survivors report increased physical morbidity, perceive aging less favorably, and experience increased filial anxiety. Accumulated evidence points to a series of moderating and mediating variables for these effects. Thus, increased morbidity and difficulties vis-à-vis age-related challenges in offspring are associated with increased parental posttraumatic distress and an intrusive Holocaust-related communication pattern. Several mechanisms link between parental behaviors and offspring aging, amongst them are secondary traumatization symptoms, unhealthy behaviors and avoidance of health-promoting behaviors, and epigenetic modification regulating genes related to the physiological stress response and to other bodily systems. Future studies are needed in order to better understand intergenerational effects among middle-aged and older adult offspring. Additional work will help guide future, interdisciplinary theoretical models and therapeutic interventions aimed at advancing successful aging among adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.