Professor Kessler, what do the images of war from the Ukraine do to people who experienced nights of bombing and flight as children?
The extent to which older people with mental symptoms react to this historical situation depends, of course, on a variety of factors. However, it is by no means to be assumed that there will be a generalized reactivation of war trauma affecting the entire group of older people. In the case of older people who experienced the war themselves as children or young people and who directly experienced powerlessness and violence at the time, a trauma reactivation can of course occur. If these people then still have little psychological resources, for example in connection with the onset of dementia or a serious physical illness, the risk increases. It also increases in older people with these biographical experiences when they feel in a powerless situation, such as being dependent on care and support and restricted in their independence.
They say that certain groups are at higher risk of re-traumatization. What factors can protect?
We should not underestimate the resilience of older people. In addition to dealing with the war, many older people manage to concentrate on positive things in everyday life and to enjoy the moment with gratitude. Many older people are involved in activities such as caring for grandchildren, leisure activities and volunteer work. In this way, you can avoid the flood of information. It’s harder when you’re alone a lot.
Many older people manage to concentrate on positive things in everyday life while dealing with the war.
Professor Eva-Maria Kessler
The number of people who have personally experienced war or persecution is decreasing for demographic reasons. How does the larger generation born after World War II fare with the news of the war?
The ‘young old’ already belong to the post-war generation. Members of this generation have not experienced direct acts of war. However, many post-war children still have memories of destroyed cities and villages and of food shortages, so images of bombed houses or people queuing in front of supermarkets can trigger painful memories.
Jens Jeske
Professor Eva-Maria Kessler
The gerontopsychologist was born in 1976 and habilitated in 2014 at the University of Heidelberg. She teaches at the Medical School in Berlin and has been a member of the Executive Committee of the German Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics (DGGG) since 2016.
What can younger people do to support older relatives with their fears?
The risk of re-traumatization is greater for people who have little control over obtaining social support and, when they feel a need for it, are unable to share the war with other people. Older people’s concerns about the war reflect a desire for the next generation to be prosperous, to live in peace and prosperity. In psychology we call this motive of caring for future generations generativity in old age. In this way, older people also help younger people in their families and in their neighborhood to classify world events and to process them together.