First Generation
In a nutshell
Features of this group
This group comprises members of the resistance, victims of persecution and civilian war casualties who suffer from psychological complaints resulting from their traumatic experiences during the German and Japanese occupation and in the Netherlands East Indies at the time of the Bersiap. Their partners or other members of their family may also be drawn in the treatment, even if they themselves do not belong to any of the categories mentioned here.
A great number of these people was still very young during the Second World War, which means that the traumatization may have been a decisive influence in the development of their personality. Resuming one’s life after the war turned out to be a tough task for many victims.
It was frequently not until they reached middle age that many of them developed complaints, often after a major event in their lives, such as the death of a partner, or retirement.
