Posted on 03/19/2004 7:42:26 PM PST by chance33_98
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LACK OF PARENTAL SUPPORT DURING CHILDHOOD IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED ADULT DEPRESSION AND CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS, STUDY FINDS
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WASHINGTON — People with abundant parental support during childhood are likely to have relatively good health throughout adulthood, whereas people with inadequate parental support while growing up are likely to have poorer health as adults, suggests a new study involving a nationally representative sample of nearly 3,000 adults. The findings are reported on in the March issue of Psychology and Aging, a journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Research has long showed that children who receive abundant support from their parents report fewer psychological and physical problems during childhood than children who receive less parental support. Studies have also found that adult psychological and physical health is influenced by the amount of social support adults receive. Now, Benjamin A. Shaw, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health, University at Albany and colleagues from the University of Michigan investigated for the first time whether the health effects of parental support received during childhood persist throughout adulthood into old age.
The researchers analyzed responses from 2,905 adults, ages 25–74, who participated in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. The participants were asked about the availability of emotional support from their mothers and fathers during the years they were growing up, such as “how much could you confide in her or him about things that were bothering you?” and “how much love and affection did she or he give you?” Depressive symptoms, chronic health conditions and self-esteem were also assessed through survey questions.
Results of the study indicate that adults’ current mental and physical health is influenced not only by current psychosocial conditions, but also by earlier life psychosocial conditions dating back to childhood, including parental support. The researchers found a lack of parental support during childhood is associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms and chronic health conditions (such as hypertension, arthritis and urinary problems) in adulthood, and this association persists with increasing age throughout adulthood into early old age. The association appears to be more strongly linked to mental health than physical health problems, which may be due to differences in how these problems develop over time, according to the authors.
“These findings are important because they not only reveal a strong association between early parental support and adult health status, but also provide some preliminary insight into factors that link early social conditions with adult health and well-being,” says Dr. Shaw. “In this study, we found that the association between early parental support and adult health may be largely due to the long-term impact of parent-child relationships on important psychosocial resources. Specifically, early parental support appears to shape people’s sense of personal control, self-esteem and family relationships, which in turn affect adult depressive symptoms and physical health.”
If additional research supports these findings, the authors say the implications may be far-reaching for predicting who is at elevated risk for ill health in late life, and for improving the physical and mental health of older adults. “Instead of only considering the impact that contemporaneous psychosocial resources and experiences may have on the physical and mental health of adults and older adults, health practitioners may need to cast a much broader net that encompasses earlier life conditions dating as far back as childhood.”
Article: “Emotional Support From Parents Early in Life, Aging, and Health," Benjamin A. Shaw, University at Albany, State University of New York, Neal Krause, Linda M. Chatters, Cathleen M Connell, and Berit Ingersoll-Dayton, University of Michigan; Psychology and Aging, Vol. 19, No. 1.
Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office or at http://www.apa.org/journals/pag/press_releases/march_2004/pag1914.html
Alas, I fell into the feminist trap and worked when my kids were little. Traveling between offices I listened to Dr. Laura. Luckily her words "Mom's should stay home with their babies" hit me like a two by four and and I quite a 6 figure career to raise my children .
A few weeks later I was surrounded by my oldest's (he was in kindergarten at the time) teachers. They were amazed at the changes in my son and wanted to know why this was happening. His confidence and level of interaction in school did a complete 180 degrees as well as the lives of the whole family. Life became a hoot again.
I actually think it's taken a few years for him to really forgive me for what I did to him. I think on my death bed my only regret (if I don't screw up til then!) is that I didn't raise my kids from day one.
The grants are being issued as we speak.
Studies like this don't matter. It won't create happy families or happy spouses to be if they don't otherwise exist already. Poverty and personal hubris will each make sure broken families and broken individuals continue to be created.
I can't say that they did 180-degree turns, but they clearly did better with me home more. They're both doing well in school, they're in the top math groupings and in the academic enrichment program. Our older son has ADHD, but he's a wonderful student and his teachers love him. Without a lot of structure and "a mean mom and dad" I think he'd be in worse shape. My husband and I are both deeply involved in volunteer work with the school and scouts, so we have some influence on their larger environment and know their classmates, friends, and school staff very well. We're not perfect parents, and there's no telling what damage was done by their early day care experience. Our older son is sometimes quite a handful, moody and lacking in social skills. Perhaps it's just his inherent personality. I always worry that I made life harder for him by not being there enough when he was little. I do my best to encourage young moms and dads to follow their hearts and tend to their own babies.
It seems to me that the pendulum is swinging back on this issue, at least a little bit. I sure hope so. Kids deserve better, and so do their parents.
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