It doesn't help
University of Cambridge
In a study of over 7,500 Irish children, researchers at the University of
Cambridge and University College Dublin found that children exposed to
'hostile' parenting at age three were 1.5 times likelier than their peers to
have mental health symptoms which qualified as 'high risk' by age nine.
Hostile parenting involves frequent harsh treatment and discipline and can
be physical or psychological. It may, for example, involve shouting at children
regularly, routine physical punishment, isolating children when they misbehave,
damaging their self-esteem, or punishing children unpredictably depending on
the parent's mood.
The researchers charted children's mental health symptoms at ages three, five and nine. They studied both internalising mental health symptoms (such as anxiety and social withdrawal) and externalising symptoms (such as impulsive and aggressive behaviour, and hyperactivity).
About 10% of the children were found to be in a high-risk band for poor
mental health. Children who experienced hostile parenting were much more likely
to fall into this group.
Importantly, the study makes clear that parenting style does not
completely determine mental health outcomes. Children's mental health is shaped
by multiple risk factors, including gender, physical health, and socio-economic
status.
The researchers do argue, however, that mental health professionals,
teachers and other practitioners should be alert to the potential influence of
parenting on a child who shows signs of having poor mental health. They add
that extra support for the parents of children who are already considered to be
at risk could help to prevent these problems from developing.
The study was undertaken by Ioannis Katsantonis, a doctoral researcher at
the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and Jennifer Symonds,
Associate Professor in the UCD School of Education. It is reported in the
journal, Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences.
"The fact that one in 10 children were in the high-risk category for
mental health problems is a concern and we ought to be aware of the part
parenting may play in that," Katsantonis said. "We are not for a
moment suggesting that parents should not set firm boundaries for their
children's behaviour, but it is difficult to justify frequent harsh discipline,
given the implications for mental health."
Symonds said: "Our findings underline the importance of doing
everything possible to ensure that parents are supported to give their children
a warm and positive upbringing, especially if wider circumstances put those
children at risk of poor mental health outcomes. Avoiding a hostile emotional
climate at home won't necessarily prevent poor mental health outcomes from
occurring, but it will probably help."
While parenting is widely acknowledged 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 both internalising and externalising
symptoms together.
The researchers used data from 7,507 participants in the 'Growing up in
Ireland' longitudinal study of children and young people. Mental health data
was captured using a standard assessment tool called the Strengths and
Difficulties Questionnaire. Each child was given a composite score out of 10
for their externalising and internalising symptoms at ages three, five and
nine.
A second standard assessment was used to measure the parenting style
children experienced at age three. Parents were profiled based on how far they
inclined towards each of three styles: warm parenting (supportive and attentive
to their child's needs); consistent (setting clear expectations and rules); and
hostile.
The researchers found that, based on the trajectories along which their mental health symptoms developed between ages three and nine, the children fell into three broad categories. Most (83.5%) were low risk, with low internalising and externalising symptom scores at age three which then fell or remained stable.
A few (6.43%) were mild risk, with high initial scores that decreased
over time, but remained higher than the first group. The remaining 10.07% were
high risk, with high initial scores that increased by age nine.
Hostile parenting raised a child's chances of being in the high-risk
category by 1.5 times, and the mild-risk category by 1.6 times, by age nine.
Consistent parenting was found to have a limited protective role, but only
against children falling into the 'mild-risk' category. To the researchers'
surprise, however, warm parenting did not increase the likelihood of children
being in the low-risk group, possibly due to the influence of other factors on
mental health outcomes.
Previous research has highlighted the importance of these other factors,
many of which the new study also confirmed. Girls, for example, were more
likely to be in the high-risk category than boys; children with single parents
were 1.4 times more likely to be high-risk, and those from wealthier
backgrounds were less likely to exhibit worrying mental health symptoms by
middle childhood.
Katsantonis said that the findings underscored the importance of early
intervention and support for children who are at risk of mental health
difficulties, and that this should involve tailored support, guidance and
training for new parents.
"Appropriate support could be something as simple as giving new parents clear, up-to-date information about how best to manage young children's behaviour in different situations," he said. "There is clearly a danger that parenting style can exacerbate mental health risks. This is something we can easily take steps to address."
