Original scientific paper
Influence of Psychical Trauma through Transgenerational Transfer on the Development of Traumatic Reactions in Women with Diagnosed Breast Cancer
Sanda Anton
Katarina Tomanović
Slobodan Mrđenović
Križo Katinić
Damir Gugić
Jelena Topić
Abstract
Earlier experience of psychological trauma of a close person can through a transgenerational transfer influence traumatic
reactions of a person going through a trauma at present, resulting in a repetition of earlier traumatic experiences
and a development of a variety of mental disturbances. Purpose of our study was to evaluate the influence of transgenerational
transfer on the development of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women with diagnosed breast cancer
that had a family member with diagnosed cancer. The sample mainly consisted of 120 women treated in a Department
of Oncology, Osijek University Hospital Center with diagnosis of newly discovered breast cancer, during the
conduction of radio therapy having values Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D) from 8 to 24 or values Hamilton anxiety
scale (HAM-A) from 17 to 30. Psychotherapeutic interview with a detailed clinical overview and with applying diagnostic
criteria according to DSM-IV for mental disorders, specially structured non-standardized questionnaire for
etiologic factors evaluation of the beginning of examinees’ mental disorder, Los Angeles Symptom Checklist of PTSD
symptoms (LASC), Hamilton’s scale for anxiety evaluation (HAM-A) and Hamilton’s scale for depression evaluation
(HAM-D) were used. Results show that 61 (51%) of patients have a family member with diagnosed cancer. The average
total value on LASC for examinees that had a family member with diagnosed cancer was slightly higher (22.92) in comparison
to those who had no such family member (20.88). No statistically significant connection was found between having
a family member with diagnosed cancer and the average total value on LASC. Although no connection was established
between having a family member with diagnosed cancer and the average value on LASC in women with diagnosed
breast cancer, transgenerational transfer of emotions seems to be important in their traumatic reactions, but it is
still insufficiently researched and it is a challenge for future researches leaving many complicated issues open.
Keywords
breast cancer; transgenerational transfer; psychical trauma; liaison psychiatry
Hrčak ID:
72154
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2011.
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