Evil-related threats and mental health concomitants among offspring of Holocaust survivors gay men

Objectives

In view of the accumulated stress associated with the combination of intergenerational trauma and minority stress, we aimed to examine whether offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS) reported stronger evil-related threats compared to non-OHS individuals and whether OHS gay men experienced stronger threats. We also examined whether sexual orientation moderated the hypothesized indirect effect of Holocaust background on mental health through evil-related threats.

Method

Participants were 346 middle-aged and older Israeli men (mean age = 60.56, SD = 8.42, range 50–86). Among them, 173 identified as gay men, and 81 identified as OHS. Participants completed measures of evil-related threats, depression, and life satisfaction.

Results

Analysis of covariance revealed that OHS men reported stronger evil-related threats compared to non-OHS men. Yet, an interaction between Holocaust background and sexual orientation indicated that OHS gay men reported stronger evil-related threats compared to non-OHS gay men, while no such difference existed among heterosexual counterparts. Conditional indirect effect analysis showed a significant indirect effect, in which Holocaust background related to higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction through evil-related threats among gay men, but not among heterosexual men.

Conclusion

This study sheds light on the particular experience of evil-related threats, focusing on older OHS gay men and the mental health vulnerability associated with it. In applied contexts, this might help identify a sexual minority group that is particularly sensitive to adverse mental health and offer it supporting interventions.