Scientists talked about the connection of support in childhood with mental health

Trusting relationships with loved ones, the support of friends, and a sense of security in childhood are associated with a lower likelihood of depression and anxiety disorders in early adulthood. This conclusion was reached by researchers at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ireland, who analyzed data from 3,499 participants in the British project. What events scientists consider to be a positive childhood experience and why it is important along with protection from injury — in the Izvestia article.

Not just the absence of bad

When it comes to childhood and mental health, attention is often focused on adverse events.: violence, severe experiences, and other circumstances that could harm a child. Preventing such an experience remains a necessary task.

But the absence of traumatic events does not describe the whole life of a child. It is also important whether he has a close relationship, support, and a sense of security. This is exactly the side that the RCSI and FutureNeuro Research Center team studied. Scientists considered positive experiences as possible additional factors related to mental health in the future.

A positive experience here refers to the circumstances of life that are available for research: good relationships with parents and teachers, supportive friendships, enjoyment of school, regular classes outside the home, communication with relatives and friends, and security in your neighborhood.

What exactly did the scientists study

The authors used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children — ALSPAC. This British project is also known as "Children of the 90s": it helps researchers study the factors of health and development throughout life.

The new analysis included 3,499 participants. The researchers assessed ten broad categories of positive experiences between birth and age 17, and then compared them with mental health at age 24.

Scientists talked about the connection of mothers' facial expressions with children's emotional problems

Each participant received a total score depending on how many types of positive experiences were present in his childhood and adolescence. A higher score meant more such circumstances.

The researchers then tested the relationship of this assessment with meeting the criteria for mental disorders. This is an important difference from the question of whether a person is happy with their life: the work dealt with certain conditions, including depression and generalized anxiety disorder.

The analysis took into account other known influences, such as childhood traumas, socio-economic circumstances, and a genetic predisposition to mental illness. This approach allowed us to check whether the relationship was explained only by the fact that children with more support generally had fewer risk factors.

The clearest link is with depression.

Participants with a higher assessment of positive childhood experiences were less likely to meet the criteria for a mental disorder at the age of 24. The most pronounced association was observed for depression. A greater number of positive circumstances were associated with a lower likelihood of this condition in early adulthood.

The association was weaker for anxiety disorder, but it was also statistically significant. This does not mean the same effect for all people: the researchers describe a pattern within the studied group.

The results on psychotic disorders remained uncertain. There were not enough cases to draw a reliable conclusion. Therefore, the study cannot be presented as proof of protection against any mental illness.

The age of the assessment also matters. The work shows a link with the condition at 24 years old, but does not establish how much it persists in middle age or old age. This will require further observations.

Nervous children: schoolchildren began to turn to psychologists more often

They complain of anxiety, depression, and peer problems.

Why friendship and security are different parts of the same picture

The list of positive circumstances covers several aspects of children's life. Support can be received at home, at school, among peers and in a wider environment. A good relationship with a parent belongs to a family environment. Trust in the teacher and the pleasure of school is the learning experience. Friendship and frequent communication lead to social connections. The feeling of security in the area is related to the conditions of everyday life.

This expands the usual conversation about parenting. The researchers took into account circumstances that do not depend solely on the parents. Other adults, peers, and the organization of the school environment can play a significant role in a child's life.

At the same time, the study does not give grounds to name one element as the main one. Based on the overall assessment, it is impossible to conclude that friendship is more important than a relationship with a teacher or that a certain activity can replace the support of a close adult. The practical point of the list is to be able to look at a child's life more broadly and notice where they already have support and where they lack it.

A positive experience does not negate an injury.

The connection persisted even after taking into account unfavorable circumstances. The authors consider this as an argument in favor of the independent value of positive experience, which is not limited only to the absence of risk. But this does not mean that good events erase the effects of injury or automatically outweigh them.

A child may have close friends and difficult family experiences at the same time. He can trust the teacher and face an unsafe environment outside the school. The presence of one favorable circumstance does not make another, traumatic, harmless.

Therefore, the conclusion of the work should not be turned into a proposal to "compensate" the harm with pleasant activities. Support complements protection from disadvantage, and the need to prevent violence and help survivors of trauma remains.

The authors propose to take into account both sides of the children's experience: to reduce the impact of adverse events and to expand opportunities for trusting relationships, communication and a safe daily life.

From the couch to the screen: how have people's requests to psychologists changed?

Experts have compiled a rating of the most pressing problems of Russians

Why is this not yet a proven causal relationship?

The children were not randomly assigned to groups with different numbers of positive events. The researchers analyzed the existing differences between the participants. They applied a statistical approach aimed at a more accurate assessment of the possible effect, taking into account other influences. However, even a complex analysis of observational data does not guarantee that all circumstances can affect the outcome.

In addition, the overall assessment simplifies a diverse life experience. It shows the presence of various favorable factors, but does not fully convey the depth of the relationship, the frequency of support and the significance of a particular event for the child.

It cannot be used to derive a formula according to which a certain number of friends or activities provides protection from depression. Work also does not establish a universal norm for a "good enough" childhood.

The study also did not test a specific prevention program. Therefore, it provides grounds to study the creation of positive experiences as a way of helping, but does not prove the effectiveness of any school project or method of education.