Unseen Burdens: The Impacts of Intergenerational Trauma on First and Second Generation Immigrants' Life Satisfaction

Presenter: Hiba Farhan

Faculty Sponsor: Sarah Rose Eagan

School: Worcester State University

Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Session: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, Concourse, B2

ABSTRACT

Life satisfaction is categorized by an individual's feeling of contentment with the direction their life is moving towards at a given time (Hou et al., 2022). However, LS (life satisfaction) in those who have immigrated is influenced by factors that may diminish feelings of fulfillment that other populations do not experience (Yaman et al., 2022). Some of the major influences on life satisfaction as an immigrant can include trauma endured firsthand or by family during the immigration process, which is then passed down generationally (Gillen et al., 2024). We aim to discover the impacts of intergenerational trauma on life satisfaction among first and second-generation immigrants. The study is conducted qualitatively with semi-structured interviews lasting 60 minutes via Zoom. The participant pool consisted of first and second-generation immigrants who spoke and understood English fluently. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2024), transcripts were read and re-read to familiarize researchers with each interview, and codes were generated based on patterns identified through the details provided by the participant during the interview process. These codes were used to identify overarching themes. Our goals are to explore the implications of trauma in families across multiple generations and to identify how the role of individual immigration experiences may affect overall life satisfaction. The study is in progress, and final results will be provided in the near future.

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