Author: Tursunova Balkadisha
Editor: Merentsova Anastasia
Clinical psychologist and National Institute of Mental Health researcher Marcy Burstein, who researched the influence of parents on children's mental health, made a conclusion about the reflection of parenting behavior on their children throughout life. Existing depression and similar anxious mental disorders in parents significantly increase the likelihood of developing the same disorders in children.
What is the reason for this and can we talk about an absolute genetic predisposition to the development of mental illness?
Mental health problems should be treated like any other medical condition, not treated as “manifestations of character,” childish moodiness, attention grabbing, and so on. Eli Lebowitz, director of the anxiety disorder program at the Yale Child Study Center, noted that parental responses to their child's behavior are shaped from infancy.
So, a study was conducted with the participation of infants and their parents: when the babies began to crawl, they looked at the reaction of their parents. If the latter looked calm, the babies continued to crawl; the children of the parents with a frightened and wary look stopped crawling. Therefore, talking about an absolute genetic predisposition to the development of mental disorders, if any, would not be entirely correct.
A parent who had a not entirely happy childhood and negative memories of it may well raise a happy child and give a carefree childhood. Thus, children need to know the reaction of their parents to a particular act. Therefore, the more positive and calm the answer is, the greater the likelihood of a happy childhood and a successful unborn child.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/04/health/childrens-mental-health-wellness/index.html
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