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Revision as of 13:06, 3 April 2005 editChrisG (talk | contribs)3,420 edits attention← Previous edit Revision as of 23:01, 6 May 2005 edit undo65.166.217.215 (talk) More detailed explanation of certain causes of Survivor syndrome and Survivor syndrome in literatureNext edit →
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• increased absences • increased absences
• higher labour turnover • higher labour turnover


People with Survivor syndrome may also have been victims, played a part in, or feel emotionally tied, to a catastrophic event, such as a war, a genocide, or a natural disaster. Someone who witnessed and survived, say, the Holocaust, might have Survivor syndrome. They might feel guilty that they survived the event and others didn't, including family, friends, and colleagues. In ]'s novel "]," the protagonist Rabo Karabekian's father had Survivor syndrome from witnessing the Armenian genocide. Ironically, he only witnessed a small part of the event; simply hiding in a deserted village was traumatic enough. His wife actually witnessed the killings, and pretended to be dead while hiding under corpses, yet she did not develop Survivor syndrome. In the book, the character Circe Berman talks about Survivor syndrome, saying that it has a hereditary nature. This may or may not be true.



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Revision as of 23:01, 6 May 2005

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A phrase which has long been used to describe the set of shared reactions and behaviours of people who have survived an adverse event. It is now increasingly being used to describe the impact on the emotions and behaviours of employees who remain in organizations where large-scale redundancies have recently occurred.


Symptoms include: • lower motivation and morale • reduced loyalty to the organization • lower trust and increased scepticism • feelings of guilt


After effects include: • lower productivity levels • increased absences • higher labour turnover


People with Survivor syndrome may also have been victims, played a part in, or feel emotionally tied, to a catastrophic event, such as a war, a genocide, or a natural disaster. Someone who witnessed and survived, say, the Holocaust, might have Survivor syndrome. They might feel guilty that they survived the event and others didn't, including family, friends, and colleagues. In Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Bluebeard," the protagonist Rabo Karabekian's father had Survivor syndrome from witnessing the Armenian genocide. Ironically, he only witnessed a small part of the event; simply hiding in a deserted village was traumatic enough. His wife actually witnessed the killings, and pretended to be dead while hiding under corpses, yet she did not develop Survivor syndrome. In the book, the character Circe Berman talks about Survivor syndrome, saying that it has a hereditary nature. This may or may not be true.

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