Trauma in children of Holocaust survivors: transgenerational effects.

The effect of parental Holocaust trauma on their children's Jewish identity and Holocaust-related ideation was investigated by comparing survivors' children with children of American Jews. Parental communication style as a possible mediating factor was also assessed. Children of survivors showed significantly more Holocaust ideation than did those of American Jews, but did not differ appreciably on measures of Jewish identity. Parental communication style was associated with ethnic identification, suggesting its mediating influence on the transgenerational effects of parental trauma.