BUSPH C2 Podcast: Trauma Expert Prof. Mendez Discusses Intergenerational Trauma & Public Health Policies
Breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma, which occurs when the effects of one person’s trauma is passed down to future generations, is a problem for many parents and their families. While some consider intergenerational trauma a public health issue, its subtle and deeply personal nature makes it difficult to address on a large scale. Alicia Mendez, a research assistant professor at BU School of Social Work, discussed her research on this type of trauma with the BU School of Public Health (BUSPH) podcast “C2,” and identified several ways federal and state policy can address it. The podcast is presented by the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice at BUSPH.
Excerpt from “Conversation on Intergenerational Trauma with Alicia Mendez, PhD” hosted by BU School of Public Health:
One of the biggest ways we can influence federal policy is to continue pushing to redefine neglect, and understanding that in all cases, we should be thinking about the intentionality of parents. Parents with trauma want to give their children a better life, they just might not have the resources or good tools to do so. And that’s a product of being in the United States without a safety net.
Consider the Child Tax Credit and the Family Medical Leave Act. They may sound unrelated, but both are about providing families with more time and about money, right? And what do more parents need if they want to be successful parents? Money for their children and more time with them, particularly for folks who are victims of systemic issues and systemic racism. If we’re able to undo some of that harm by giving them more money, we’ll see the same benefits we saw in 2021. When the government decided to give families in need more money during the pandemic, it impacted them so positively. But then a short while later, they just took it all away. So those are things that I think about addressing at the federal level, and at the state level.”
Listen to the full podcast