The Moderating Role of Resilience in the Impact of Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Mechanisms on Dissociation and Time Perspective
The Role of Resilience in Trauma Transmission Mechanisms Impact
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63175/tjts.70Keywords:
Intergenerational Trauma, Dissociation, Historical Trauma, Time Perspective, Psychological Resilience, Trauma TransmissionAbstract
Background: Intergenerational trauma is the transmission of trauma’s psychological legacy across generations, manifesting as heightened vulnerability, dissociation, and distorted cognitive processes in descendants. While the phenomenon is well-recognized, critical gaps remain in understanding the specific psychological transmission mechanisms and their influence on time perspective, as well as the protective role of resilience across diverse populations. This study investigated these pathways in a multicultural sample of adults.
Methods: A diverse sample of 131 adults aged 18-65 completed the Historical Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Questionnaire, the Dissociative Symptoms Scale-Brief, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory-Short, and the Brief Resilience Scale. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were conducted to examine predictors of dissociation and time perspective, and the moderating effect of resilience, while controlling for ancestral trauma exposure levels.
Results: Maladaptive escape coping and trauma-related distress were the most prominent predictors of higher dissociation levels and more negative time perspectives across ethnic and age groups. Resilience significantly buffered the impact of multiple transmission mechanisms including trauma-influenced parenting, trauma-related distress, fear, heightened responsibility, and historical moral injury on dissociation and present-fatalistic outlook. However, resilience paradoxically exacerbated the relationship between escape coping and a negative future perspective.
Conclusion: Intergenerational trauma may be transmitted through specific psychological pathways, with maladaptive escape coping emerging as a central mechanism predicting dissociation and altered time perspectives. Resilience demonstrates a largely protective yet complex moderating role. Findings suggest clinical interventions should directly target transmission mechanisms while cultivating resilience to break cycles of intergenerational distress across diverse cultural contexts.
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