2023-03-31 12:52:14
Parents who exercise often severe discipline with young children put them at significantly higher risk of developing lasting mental health problems, new research shows, published in the journal ‘Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences’.
In their study of more than 7,500 Irish children, researchers from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and University College Dublin (Ireland) found that children exposed to a “hostile” parenting at age 3 they were 1.5 times more likely than their peers to have mental health symptoms rated “high risk” at age 9.
Children exposed to ‘hostile’ parenting at age 3 are more likely to present with ‘high risk’ mental health symptoms at age 9
Hostile parenting involves a frequent harsh treatment and discipline, and may be physical or psychological. This may include, for example, yelling at children on a regular basis, routine physical punishment, isolating them when they misbehave, damaging their self-esteem, or punish them unpredictably depending on the mood of the parents.
Internal and external symptoms
The researchers looked at the children’s mental health symptoms at ages 3, 5 and 9. They studied so much internalizing symptoms mental health (such as anxiety and social withdrawal) and those of outsourcing (such as impulsive and aggressive behavior, and hyperactivity).
Around the 10% of children were in a high-risk range of poor mental health. Children with a hostile upbringing were much more likely to belong to this group.
Hostile parenting involves frequent harsh treatment and discipline, and can be physical or psychological
The study makes it clear that parenting style does not completely determine results in terms of mental health. children’s mental health depends on multiple risk factorssuch as gender, physical health, and socioeconomic status.
parent support
The researchers argue, however, that mental health professionals, teachers, and other professionals should be alert to the possible influence of parenting style in a child showing signs of poor mental health. They add that the extra support for parents of children already considered to be at risk could help prevent these problems from developing.
“The fact that one in ten children is in the high-risk category for mental health problems is worrying, and we must be aware of the role that parenting can play in this -says Ioannis Katsantonis, doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education of the University of Cambridge. We’re not suggesting for a moment that parents shouldn’t set firm limits on their children’s behavior, but it’s hard to justify frequent harsh discipline, given the implications for mental health.”
We are not suggesting that parents should not set limits on their children’s behavior, but it is difficult to justify frequent harsh discipline given the implications for mental health,” the researchers say.
Jennifer Symonds, associate professor in the UCD School of Education, notes that the findings “underscore the importance of doing everything possible to ensure that parents receive the support they need to give their children a warm and positive upbringing, especially if broader circumstances put those children at risk of mental health problems. Avoiding a hostile emotional climate at home won’t necessarily prevent poor mental health outcomes from occurring, but it will likely help,” she adds.
Although parenting is widely recognized as a factor influencing children’s mental health, most studies have not investigated how it affects their mental health over time, or how it relates to internalizing and externalizing symptoms together.
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