New evidence shows that parents who repeatedly discipline young children put them at higher risk of lasting mental health problems.
The study was conducted on more than 7,500 Irish children, and the research team from the University of Cambridge and University College Dublin found that children who were subjected to “hostile” parenting at the age of three were 1.5 times more likely than their peers to develop mental health symptoms, which are described as “high risk” in the age of nine.
Aggressive parenting involves repeated harsh treatment and discipline, which may be physical or psychological. It may include, for example, regular yelling at children, routine physical punishment, isolating children when they misbehave, hurt their self-esteem, or punish them unexpectedly depending on the parents’ mood.
The researchers assessed the children’s mental health symptoms at ages three, five and nine. They looked at mental health symptoms (such as anxiety and social withdrawal) and external symptoms (such as impulsive, aggressive behavior, and hyperactivity).
It was found that about 10% of the children belonged to the high-risk category for poor mental health, and most of them had suffered from hostile parenting.
More importantly, the study showed 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 socioeconomic status.
