Family Dynamics, the Nazi Holocaust, and Mental Health Treatment: A Shift in Paradigm

Abstract

This article describes survivors' family dynamics before, during, and after the Nazi Holocaust. Demographics and the Danieli Typology were used to explore family dynamics among the full sample. The researcher constructed a family resilience template, synthesizing the assumptions of ecological, family systems, and risk and resilience theories about family adaptability, to guide the analysis of interview transcripts. The survivors' own words became the vehicle for illustrating themes of family and family-like interactions.

KEYWORDS:

• Family systems
• resilience
• ecological perspective

Notes

This research was funded by Grant 10282 from the John Templeton Foundation: Roberta R. Greene (principal investigator); Marilyn Armour, Harriet L. Cohen, Constance Corley, and Carmen Morano (co-investigators); Shira Hantman (statistical consultant); and Sandra A. Graham (project manager). The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.