Psychological Trauma Among American Indian Families: A Two-Generation Study

Abstract

The findings presented in this article come from a two-generation study exploring the psychological impact of trauma among American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) families and its perceived relationship to substance abuse across generations. Psychological traumas and stressors found to be pervasive across generations included physical and sexual abuse as well as persistent discrimination and racism, such as fear of having children removed from the home. A noteworthy finding was a decrease in reports of childhood traumas across the two generations within this sample. Implications and recommendations for clinicians and researchers working with AI populations are discussed in light of the findings.

KEYWORDS:

• American Indian
• family
• intergenerational transmission
• psychological trauma
• substance abuse

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laurelle L. Myhra

Laurelle L. Myhra is a licensed marriage and family therapist and practices at the Native American Community Clinic, where she is the head of the counseling department. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in the marriage and family therapy master's degree program at St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Her research and clinical interests center around American Indian family resiliency.

Elizabeth Wieling

Elizabeth Wieling is an associate professor of couple and family therapy in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. Her research agenda involves integrating cross-cultural and prevention backgrounds to develop ecological and culturally relevant multicomponent systems interventions for populations affected by psychological mass trauma.