Holocaust survivors: Coping with post-traumatic memories in childhood and 40 years later

This essay deals with coping processes of childhood trauma of survivors who were children during World War II over the lifecycle in a nonclinical group. The main issues refer to: (1) responses to war memories immediately after the war and 40 years later; (2) dealing with memories and feelings at present; (3) victims' feelings and attitudes toward the persecutor; (4) attitudes of survivors' children to the war experience of their parents; and (5) coping styles immediately and 40 years after the war, including the survivors' responses at present. Using a semistructural interview and a qualitative content analysis of interviews, it is suggested that for most persons the reactivation of memories and the need to document their experiences enhances, in a limited scope, the recognition of their loss and brings some relief; it also discloses new ways for these adults to comprehend their traumatic past.