BIOLOGICALLY-BASED MULTIGENERATIONAL TRAUMA

Mary Kreitz • February 2, 2022

Previous blog posts in this series have looked at ways that trauma can spread across groups and cultures and ways that trauma can be passed down through generations.  Today we are going to take a look at biologically-based ways that trauma can be transmitted from parent to child.

IN ULTERO EXPOSURE

When a person goes through a high stress situation there are chemical reactions that happen in the body.  Of particular importance, the stress hormone cortisol is released to mobilize the resources needed to engage the fight or flight responses, should they be needed. In a typical pregnancy, the mother’s body produces a protective enzyme that regulates fetal exposure to maternal cortisol byconverting the hormone into an inactive substance before it can reach the fetus.  Research has found that the bodies of some pregnant women who experienced extreme trauma produced less of this protective enzyme, thereby exposing their fetus to higher levels of cortisol in utero.

When an infant is exposed to elevated levels of stress hormones in utero, while the infant’s brain, nervous system, circulatory system, and other vital organs are still forming, it has an impact on the way those organs form.  Especially if this happens over a prolonged period of time, the infant’s body becomes used to the high level of stress hormones being present.  It becomes that child’s “normal” way of being.  Studies of children born under types of circumstances found that the babies experienced greater distress to novelty as infants, increased impulsivity and greater difficulty organizing their thoughts during childhood, and an increased likelihood of exhibiting anxiety, behavioral disturbances, and emotional regulation problems throughout their lives.

EPIGENETICS

Epigenetics is the study of how a person’s behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way their genes work without changing the underlying DNA sequence.  What happens is that a tag is added to the DNA molecule that acts like a dimmer switch, turning expression of a gene off or on or turning the volume of that gene up or down.  These changes are thought to be heritable, meaning the tags remain in the DNA that parents pass on to their children.


Epigenetic research is still relatively new.  Although researchers have shown that effects of trauma are heritable through epigenetics in animals, the connection has not yet been demonstrated empirically in humans.  At this point, the connection is mainly theoretical and research is ongoing.


To understand the influence of epigenetics in trauma, let’s imagine an 18 year old black man who is driving his car and gets pulled over by the police.  For almost anyone, this would be a stressful experience.

This young man, however, comes from a family in which the long history of negative experiences with police - history of police brutality against persons of color, racial profiling, “sundowner” towns, enforcement of Jim Crow laws, and patrols hunting down people attempting to escape from enslavement - has resulted in a heightened sensitivity in his autonomic nervous system.  The young man sees the lights flashing and pulls over.  He looks in his rearview mirror and sees the police officer get out of the cruiser and start walking toward him.  The epigenetic tag on his DNA has dialed up his sensitivity to these stimuli and instead of reacting with nervousness or irritation, his brain interprets the situation as DANGER!!  How does he react?  Maybe he freezes and seems uncooperative.  Maybe his flight instinct is triggered and he takes off.  Maybe his fight instinct is triggered.  Either way, the police officer sees his reaction as evidence of guilt rather than what it really is, a manifestation of multigenerational trauma.

Recognition of the multigenerational impact of trauma is very important if we want to accurately understand behavior.  It isn’t enough to know what an individual has been through (though that is valuable information to know).  We also need to take into consideration what happened in the history of that person’s family, and to be aware of the history of injustices and traumatic experiences that happened to others like them in the past.  Knowing this information can make the difference between viewing a child as a troublemaker or viewing that child as someone who is doing the best they can to deal with difficult problems that might have begun before they were even born.  By broadening our perspective, we gain a better ability to respond with compassion and empathy.

Additionally, we gain the ability to appreciate the strength and resilience it has taken for people to survive and thrive despite these challenges.


If you or someone you know is experience generational trauma, please call C&A at 330.433.6075.


* This is the second in a three-part series on Multi-generational trauma. The final segment in the series will focus on bilogical based trauma.


Mary Kreitz, LPC, CDCA has over 20 years of experience working in the field of behavioral health.  She is currently the lead therapist for the Trauma Program at Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health, is a member of the Stark County Trauma and Resiliency Committee, and is a member of the Unity Coalition to Dismantle Racism in Stark County.


If you would like to support C&A services, programs or this blog, please consider making a Venmo donation to @CABehavioralHealth or use this donation link - https://childandadolescent.org/give-to-ca/

RECENT POSTS

By Daniel Mucci May 19, 2025
CANTON, Ohio (May 19) – Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) has been awarded more than $217,000 in new grant funding from six community-focused foundations and agencies to enhance service delivery, support families, and improve internal operations across Stark County.  The grants—awarded by the Health Foundation of Greater Massillon, Massillon Rotary Foundation, North Canton Medical Foundation, United Way of Greater Stark County, the SummerTime Kids program, and the Roy H. Powell and Nina B. Powell Family Charitable Fund—reflect continued community investment in C&A’s mission and momentum. “These contributions help us strengthen the systems that support the mental health of our community’s youth,” said Melissa Coultas, CEO of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health. “They ensure our team is equipped, our services remain accessible, and our families feel supported.”
By Mary M. Kreitz November 21, 2024
For many people changes in the seasons also bring changes in mood, energy, sleep, weight and appetite. Some researchers have found that as many as 90% of people report noticing these types of changes in themselves. However, for some people, the changes are so intense that they interfere with the person’s ability to function in their daily life.  Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a type of clinical depression that occurs with a consistent seasonal pattern. The symptoms of SAD are the same as those for other depressive disorders; what is different is that the symptoms begin every year around the same time, last for several months, and then go away for the rest of the year. The most common form of SAD is what is known as winter-pattern SAD in which depressive symptoms start in the fall or early winter and end in the spring. Another less common form is known as summer-pattern SAD and is associated with depressive symptoms that occur during the spring and summer months and improve in the fall.
By Mary M. Kreitz November 6, 2024
The 2024 election has brought a lot of fear and stress into the lives of people throughout the country. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that 77% of adults in the US are worried about the future of the nation, 73% reported feeling stressed out about the economy and 69% reported feeling stressed about the presidential election. When adults are feeling this high of a level of stress, you can bet that children and adolescents are feeling it too.
By Daniel Mucci October 1, 2024
Are you a trusted adult to your child or someone’s child in your life? What are the characteristics of a trusted adult?  Trusted adults are viewed by children or adolescents as a safe figure that listens without judgment, agenda or expectation, but with the sole purpose of supporting and encouraging positivity within a young person’s life. Today’s youth identify a trusted adult as someone who is willing to listen and engage, rather than lecture and give orders. Young adults are interested in having open conversations about mental health, social media, bullying and sharing their own experiences.
By Daniel Mucci September 9, 2024
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health’s (C&A) The Canton Repository Let Your Light Shine presented by the Massillon Eagles FOE #190 is Sept. 21 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Canton, from 6-9 p.m. The 19th annual event supports the youth mental health programs and services C&A provides each year to our 4,100 clients.
By Mary M. Kreitz June 18, 2024
You have probably heard the scary statistics. LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk for serious mental health problems (such as anxiety and depression) than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. They’re more likely to consider suicide, more likely to attempt suicide and more likely to engage in non-suicidal self-harm.
By Dr. Robert Willoughby June 4, 2024
Hope and hopelessness play a large role in the phenomenon of suicide and depression including that of children and adolescents (Liu, et al., 2021). On the positive side I am always reminded of the use of hope to overcome hopelessness in stories reminiscent of a hero’s journey. Stories, where in the face of insurmountable odds, one digs in deep to find themselves, their own hope, and the hope of others joining together to help whilst overcoming trials and tribulations (Campbell, 2011).
By Dan Mucci May 16, 2024
Suicidal ideation is on the rise nationwide, especially among teenagers and college-age students. Post COVID, adolescents are struggling to handle a variety of situations and have limited coping skills to help them through the challenges. One of the biggest challenges is loneliness.
By Dan Mucci April 16, 2024
The sixth annual Stark County Schools Mental Health Awareness Week is May 6-10 Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), CommQuest Services and Pathway Caring for Children will partner to bring positive mental health awareness to more than 53,000 students and 7,000 support and administrative staff in all 18 Stark County School districts.
More Posts