Unpacking the Role of Intergenerational Trauma on South Asian Mental Health

Written By Aanchal Viswanathan Anand
South Asian Services Team Lead
RP (Qualifying), M.Couns, MSc, BSc

A common theme that I witness in my work as a South Asian Psychotherapist with South Asian communities is how cultural history, family dynamics, and intergenerational trauma shape the emotional lives of clients. This blog will offer an introductory glimpse into what intergenerational trauma is, its impact across generations, and how we can begin to heal from it.

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma refers to how emotional and psychological pain is passed down from one generation to the next – from those who experienced it first hand to the subsequent generations.

South Asian history is steeped in historical and political contexts that have shaped the experience of trauma. Earlier generations who have survived and experienced traumatic events such as colonisation, civil conflicts, wars, the partition of India, forced migration, abuse, and caste-based oppression may pass on the lasting emotional scars of these events to the next generation through a number of pathways.

How Is Intergenerational Trauma Passed Down From One Generation To The Next?

Unprocessed emotions and survival strategies might be passed down through learned behaviours, emotional suppression, critical and fear-based parenting practices, and the recreation of socio-cultural environments that repeat cycles of trauma to name a few. Through the study of epigenetics, emerging research also indicates how intergenerational trauma can be passed across generations genetically.

For example, a grandparent who may have survived the partition of India, may have learned to cope with the painful reality of their forced displacement and loss through emotional suppression and a desire for control. The unprocessed trauma from the unstable environments may also result in a parenting style that is rigid, authoritarian, and seeking obedience and perfectionism from their children in a likely effort to protect their children from perceived threats or failures. This can further pass on to the next generation, where grandchildren may grow up feeling emotionally disconnected or feeling unsafe expressing vulnerability, often leading to anxiety, depression, or difficulty forming healthy relationships.

What Are Steps To Heal From Intergenerational Trauma?

It’s helpful to begin recognising that intergenerational trauma is not the fault of any single person. It results from cumulative trauma that is experienced by individuals, families, and collectives, that is shaped by historical, social, and political contexts.

Intergenerational trauma is often strengthened by the stigma, silence, and secrecy surrounding the emotional and psychological challenges that it brings with it. A helpful step might be to begin to recognise patterns of trauma within your own family of origin, and to name and talk about the impacts they have had on your life in environments where it might be safe to do so.

Therapy can be a great place to begin that process. With the support of a compassionate therapist, you can begin to explore the origins and impacts of these experiences, learn to practice emotional expression, and develop tools to support your mental health and well-being.

If you or a loved one are looking for culturally relevant psychotherapy, reach out to our South Asian Services Team to book your initial consultation.

We believe that language should not be a barrier to access care, and offer services in Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Tamil.

We also offer Low Cost Counselling for those with limited financial resources.