There are parents who try hard to discipline their children. Those who teach their children manners by yelling at an early age. An eye-opening study has now come out of parents who isolate or constantly snap at their children for their behavior. Studies have shown that children exposed to this type of parenting in childhood are more likely to develop mental health problems as adults.
The study was organized around 7,500 Irish children. The study has been published in the journal ‘Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences’. Children exposed to constant parental hostility at age three are more likely to develop dangerous mental health problems by age nine than their peers, the study found.
The study was conducted by evaluating the mental health symptoms of children aged three, five and nine years. Symptoms such as excessive anxiety, social withdrawal, aggressive behavior, and hyperactivity were all examined. It was found that about ten percent of the children’s mental condition is at a dangerous stage. The researchers also found that there are more children in this group who have faced a hostile environment at home.
Dr Lonis Kasantonis, a doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge, said that one in ten children experience this type of problem and that parenting needs to be raised about the role it plays.
That’s not to say that strict boundaries shouldn’t be used to improve children’s behavior, she said, but that continuing such harsh behavior can take a toll on their mental health. Researchers say that not only parenting, but also gender, physical health, and socio-economic background are factors that affect the mood of children during their developmental stages.
The researchers say that psychiatrists and teachers should be vigilant about the parenting of children with mental health problems. Researchers say it is important to identify such children and help them before they progress to more serious conditions. She adds that it is important for new parents to get proper guidance and training in this regard.