Children of Holocaust survivors face higher schizophrenia risk, Israeli study finds

July 18, 2026 - 17:01

A new study from Israel has found that the children of Holocaust survivors face a significantly elevated risk of developing schizophrenia. The research, conducted by a team of psychiatrists and geneticists, examined medical records spanning several decades to compare the mental health outcomes of second-generation survivors against those whose parents did not experience the genocide.

It is well established that the adult children of many Holocaust survivors suffer from trauma as a result of growing up with them and hearing about their horrific experiences, or when the parents refuse to share their past. This new data suggests the psychological impact may extend into severe psychiatric disorders. The study indicates that the risk is not merely a matter of learned behavior or environmental stress, but may involve epigenetic changes passed down through generations.

The researchers analyzed data from over 50,000 individuals born in Israel between 1950 and 1970. They found that those with two parents who were Holocaust survivors had a roughly three times higher chance of being diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to those whose parents immigrated before the war. The findings add a critical layer to the ongoing discussion about intergenerational trauma, moving beyond anxiety and depression into the realm of psychosis. While the exact biological mechanisms remain under investigation, the study underscores the profound and lasting biological footprint of extreme historical trauma.