Mental Connection: Parents vs Children
Source: https://raisingchildren.net.au/newborns/connecting-communicating/bonding/parent-child-relationships
Research has shown that a child’s mental health tends to be more stable when their parents are happy and satisfied in their marriage. This brings a sense of belonging and peace to the children. On the other hand, when parents experience emotional distress and anxiety, their kids can be severely affected during their adolescence. Therefore, it is vital that parents should be mentally stable to create a safe environment when bringing a child up. Understanding these complex dynamics between parents and children’s mental health helps encourage the finding of more effective interventions and resolutions. (Mental Health America, 2024)
How they are linked
It is no doubt that parents’ mental problems can contribute directly to the well-being of their offspring. To elaborate, children who have parents suffering from mental health issues are more likely to develop similar symptoms. The teenagers in these families tend to have a higher rate of anxiety, and depression, and display remarkable behavioral problems. In addition, some parents abuse drugs that can be detrimental to their sanity and emotional availability, exacerbating stress and insecurities among their kids. (Mental Health America, 2024)
Family dynamics
Family dynamics play a pivotal role in mediating the effects of parental mental health on teenagers. Healthy communication, emotional support, and adaptive conflict resolution within the family can buffer the negative impact of a parent’s mental health issues. Conversely, families characterized by high levels of conflict, poor communication, or emotional withdrawal tend to exacerbate the stress experienced by adolescents. For instance, when parental mental health issues create an atmosphere of tension or unpredictability at home, teenagers may feel isolated and overwhelmed, which can lead to increased internalizing behaviors such as anxiety and depression. (First Light Recovery, 2023)
Brought-up style matters
Most of the time, it is not only the mental health of the parents that affects their children but also the parenting styles that matter. For instance, supportive and nurturing parenting should provide children with a safe place to express identities and opinions without being judged. This significantly reduces the negative influences on the offspring’s mental stability. On the contrary, authoritarian parenting tends to neglect the child’s emotional needs. This stems from the parents’ own struggle of suffering from ignorance during childhood, amplifying the feeling of rejection in teenagers, and leading to severe mental issues later on. This will then become a vicious cycle, as when the children become parents, they are inclined to do the same thing to their own offspring. (Sun, 2023)
To conclude
To wrap it up, it is insane how significant parents and caregivers can affect their children’s mental health, as the children spend most of their childhood and adolescence with them. Also, the parenting style is taken into account as well. If a child is brought up in a supportive environment where their parents constantly meet the demands of their emotional needs, then that kid will form a secure attachment style later on. They will be confident individuals who have no emotional trauma and can feel comfortable nurturing others. Whereas, neglecting upbringing and parents who abuse substances will impose anxiety and depression on their children, causing an endless cycle of misery for the next generations. Children are not to blame for the mistakes of their parents and society should give more attention to family emotional health. Healthy households will contribute directly to a strong economy and sustainable growth.
References
First Light Recovery (2023). Family Dynamics, the Challenges of a Healthy Relationship. [online] firstlightrecovery.com. Available at: https://firstlightrecovery.com/family-dynamics/ [Accessed 10 Feb. 2025].
Mental Health America (2024). Parenting with a Mental Health Condition. [online] Mental Health America. Available at: https://mhanational.org/parenting-mental-health-condition [Accessed 2 Feb. 2025].
Sun, Z. (2023). The Relationship between Parenting Style and Mental Health: the Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience. SHS Web of Conferences, [online] 180, p.02022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202318002022.