The role of social support between the transfer of trauma through generations and self-esteem in the adultswhom migrated from Bulgaria

Objektive: In this study, it is aimed to examine the mediating role of perceived social support in self-esteem and the individuals in the second generation relationship by measuring the effects of the incident and trauma levels of parents who were subjected to the forced migration from Bulgaria were researched. Method: The study included 200 adults and 200 individuals of their children, who were exposed to Bulgarian immigration. During the data collection phase, Sociodemographic Data Form, Trauma Exposure Scale , Impact of Events Scale and Cultural Distance Scale were applied to the participants who lived through the immigration. Sociodemographic Data Form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were applied to the individuals who formed the second generation of our study. Results: Our sample consisted of two groups as adults being exposed to immigration and the second generation.The average age of the adults who were exposed to migration was 56.89 ± 8.03 and the average age of the second generation was 27.09 ± 4.87. In our study, there was no significant relationship between the adults exposed to immigration and effects to the individuals of traumatic exposure points and self esteem of second generation people. In our study, the perceived social support in the relationship of level of influence to adults exposed to immigration and individual's self-esteem was searched and it could not meet the criteria of the mediator variable since there was no significant relationship. As adults whom exposed to immigration and the cultural distance levels increase, also their level of influence escalates. In addition, it has been identified that the self-esteem of the individuals in the second generation increases as the cultural distance levels of the exposed adults decrease. Conclusion: In our study, no significant relationship was defined between the adults exposed to immigration and effects to the individuals of traumatic exposure and self esteem of second generation people. Key words: Migration, trauma, intergenerational transmission of trauma, self- esteem, social support