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Survivor syndrome (also KZ syndrome) is a phrase which has been used to describe the set of shared reactions and behaviors of people who have survived a massive and adverse event, such as the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Many survivors of the death camps have developed post-traumatic stress disorder.
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 such an event may have survivor syndrome, and also may feel guilty that they survived the trauma and others - such as family, friends, and colleagues - did not.
References in popular culture
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.
In the workplace
The term is also sometimes used to describe the impact on the emotions and behaviours of employees who remain in organizations where large-scale reductions in the workforce have recently occurred.
Symptoms include:
- lower motivation and morale
- reduced loyalty to the organization
- lower trust and increased scepticism
- feelings of guilt
- flashbacks
After effects include:
- lower productivity levels
- increased absences
- higher labor turnover