![]() ![]() ![]() Parental conflict fuels a fear of abandonment in children, which increases their risk of mental health problems. ![]() Separation and divorce can be hard on children, but tension and fighting among divorced parents can be more damaging than the divorce itself, according to a new study from Arizona State University. Roughly 40 to 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, and one-quarter of American children live with only one parent. Our study indicates that it is critical to center the perspectives of those directly affected by the stress in this area of research.Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Reddit That is, not having enough food might feel very threatening to the person going through it. Many researchers are trying to understand which aspects of stress matter and how.įor example, experiences that are threatening, like violence, may influence the brain and behavior differently from experiences of deprivation, like not having enough food.Īt the same time, while researchers think that certain types of stress have particular characteristics, the person experiencing the stress may not feel that way. Our team’s work and that of others underscores that stressful experiences can have a detrimental impact on development. Dozens of studies have found that positive parenting practices – such as helping children name emotions and providing a space for them to disclose feelings without judgment – can help kids get through difficult events. By fostering an environment of warmth and support, caregivers can help children cope with stress more effectively. Our study highlights the importance of nurturing parenting in promoting healthy brain development and resilience in children. These smaller volumes are in turn associated with behavioral problems, learning and memory challenges and increased vulnerability to future stress. Past research has found that the hippocampus is smaller in children and adults exposed to high levels of stress in childhood. Positive reinforcement can work in many situations and with people of all ages. In other words, if parents said they were supportive and positive in their parenting but the child didn’t see them that way, we did not see this protective effect. ![]() In contrast, we did not find this same protective effect when we looked at what caregivers thought of their parenting. Even when young people reported high levels of distress from negative life events, those who perceived their parents as more supportive did not have reduced brain tissue in the hippocampus. However, we found that children’s perception of having received positive, supportive parenting served as a buffer against the biological effects of stress. We next examined how parenting buffered against a known biomarker of stress in the brain: less tissue in the hippocampus.Ĭonsistent with prior research, we found that more childhood stress correlated with smaller hippocampal volumes. Results showed that positive parenting had protective effects against the connection between stress and behavior in other words, children who had experienced more distress from negative events, but who also perceived their parents as being warm and supportive, exhibited less challenging behavior such as rule-breaking or aggression. To measure stress, we asked children about the number of negative life events they had experienced across family, community and school contexts and how distressed each of those events made them. We measured brain tissue using structural magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, a technique that allows us to look at the size of brain regions. We analyzed brain scans of almost 500 children between 10 and 17 years old using data from a project called the Healthy Brain Network. Contrast this with harsh parenting techniques, such as shouting and physical punishments.Īs a first step, we explored whether positive parenting protected against a connection between childhood stress and behavioral problems in children. Positive parenting includes a range of warm and supportive techniques such as providing praise for doing something well, emotional support and affection. ![]()
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