From fragments to identity: reminiscence, life review and well-being of holocaust survivors. An integrative review

Abstract

Objectives: Survivors of the Holocaust have reached an age during which it is common for them to look back on their lives. Previous research has shown that reminiscence can take on either adaptive (‘self-positive’) or detrimental (‘self-negative’) forms, which in turn are differently linked to psychological well-being. Thus, the question of “why” and “how” Holocaust survivors recall their autobiographical memories may hold important information about the underlying coping processes at play. This review aims to give insight into the current state of research on these questions.

Method: A systematic literature search was conducted, looking for articles reporting quantitative and qualitative research on reminiscence and narrative styles, life review and well-being of Holocaust survivors. A methodological quality assessment was undertaken.

Results: 23 articles met the criteria for inclusion. These articles focused either on reminiscence functions or on content and structure of life narratives. Such autobiographical reports were shaped by the experience of Holocaust. However, actual well-being was particularly determined by positive life events. Studies found evidence for resilience and ongoing effort to integrate the past into a coherent review. The link between reminiscence and health remains stable even after massive trauma. Contextual influences (such as culture) and age are discussed as possible covariates.

Conclusions: The results show that Holocaust survivors are able to use reminiscence in a functional way, though they are increasingly more vulnerable as they reach very old age. The link between past suffering and present well-being gets stronger with age. Other stressful life experiences after the Holocaust must be considered as exacerbating factors. This review also presents the implications for therapy and open research questions are discussed.

Keywords:

• Holocaust survivor
• reminiscence
• life review
• narrative
• well-being

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) (grant ref. no. FO 308/2-1).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

 

“Did the taping make you feel worse in any way over the past months?”

“No. Except that I recently dreamed of my parents, of a fearful separation with them. I am convinced that the telling of my story is a most therapeutic undertaking”

(Krell, 1985, p. 400)