Psychological Trauma in Adolescence: Familial Disillusionment and Loss of Personal Identity

This article presents trauma theory and characteristics of traumatized adolescents. A case vignette demonstrates the considerations regarding assessment and treatment strategies in clinical work with an adolescent girl who suffered profound trauma, loss of personal identity, and self-esteem due to familial disillusionment. In contrast, the author presents the case of a female Holocaust survivor, documenting catastrophic loss, also during adolescence. Irrespective of the nature and magnitude of trauma, the single most outstanding predictor of future positive adjustment and resilience was the nature of the parent-child tie.