How grandparents navigate personal, parental, and grandparental roles after acute trauma

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My interest in this study is rooted in my work as a researcher examining exposure to trauma in later life among old adultd, grandparents and development across the life course, and as a couple and family therapist. Across both research and clinical practice, I have become increasingly interested in the ways traumatic events affect not only individuals, but also relationships, family roles, and the connections between generations. Grandparents occupy a particularly complex position within the family. They are often seen primarily as sources of support, stability, and wisdom for others. Yet they are also individuals with emotional needs, personal histories, vulnerabilities, and fears of their own. At the same time, they remain parents to their adult children, even when those children have become parents themselves. This complexity became especially visible during the interviews. I was deeply struck by the grandparents’ movement between different parts of themselves: their personal experience of shock and uncertainty, their renewed concern for their adult children, and their wish to protect and reassure their grandchildren. These roles did not appear separately. They were experienced simultaneously and often created emotional tension, responsibility, and overload. From my perspective as a family therapist, this reinforced the importance of understanding trauma as a relational and intergenerational experience. A crisis does not affect each family member in isolation. It reshapes boundaries, responsibilities, expectations, and patterns of care throughout the family system. This study also strengthened my belief that grandparents should be seen as whole people, rather than only through the support they provide to younger generations. They may function as emotional anchors for the family, but they also need recognition, care, and space for their own experiences. I hope that bringing greater attention to this complexity will contribute to more sensitive research and clinical practice with grandparents and multigenerational families.

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