Psychiatry Investigation
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 249-253

Transgenerational transmission of trauma: Psychiatric evaluation of offspring of former “comfort women,” survivors of the japanese military sexual slavery during world war II (Article) (Open Access)

Lee J. , Kwak Y.-S. , Kim Y.-J. , Kim E.-J. , Park E.J. , Shin Y. , Lee B.-H. , Lee S.H. , Jung H.Y. , Lee I. , Hwang J.I. , Kim D. , Lee S.I.*
  • a Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, South Korea
  • b Department of Psychiatry, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, South Korea
  • c Mentor Clinic, Seoul, South Korea
  • d Maumtodac Clinic, Ansan, South Korea
  • e Department of Psychiatry, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, Incheon, South Korea
  • f Department of Psychiatry, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
  • g Maum & Maum Clinic, Seoul, South Korea
  • h Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
  • i Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
  • j Korean Women’s Development Institute, Seoul, South Korea
  • k Korean Women’s Development Institute, Seoul, South Korea
  • l Korean Women’s Development Institute, Seoul, South Korea
  • m Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, South Korea

Abstract

“Comfort women” are survivors of sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, who endured extensive trauma including massive rape and physical torture. While previous studies have been focused on the trauma of the survivors themselves, the effects of the trauma on the offspring has never been evaluated before. In this article, we reviewed the first study on the offspring of former “comfort women” and aimed to detect the evidence of transgenerational transmission of trauma. In-depth psychiatric interviews and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis I Disorders were conducted with six offspring of former “comfort women.” Among the six participants, five suffered from at least one psychiatric disorder including major depressive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, insomnia disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Participants showed similar shame and hyperarousal symptoms as their mothers regarding stimuli related to the “comfort woman” issue. Increased irritability, problems with aggression control, negative worldview, and low self-esteem were evident in the children of mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder. Finding evidence of transgenerational transmission of trauma in offspring of “comfort women” is important. Future studies should include more samples and adopt a more objective method. © 2019 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association.

Author Keywords

Comfort women Transgenerational transmission of trauma second generation

Index Keywords

Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale alcohol consumption Patient Health Questionnaire 15 transgenerational transmission of trauma human Aged self esteem panic interview insomnia arousal male female adjustment disorder clinical article psychoanalysis Article emotion Shame chronic fatigue syndrome posttraumatic stress disorder irritability psychotrauma major depression general aspects of disease Rape
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85065721352&doi=10.30773%2fpi.2019.01.21&partnerID=40&md5=c450a4be95a57a4173844b3dfc6a418b
DOI: 10.30773/pi.2019.01.21
ISSN: 17383684
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English