Family relationships affect mental health big time, many studies have shown that social relationships, particularly family relationships, can have both long- and short-term effects on one’s mental health. Depending on the nature of the relationships within a family, mental health can be enhanced or even impacted negatively.
A noticeably big part of our children’s lives where we, as parents/caregivers can be a help guiding them to a better place is mental health. This surely constitutes a particularly important component of our health, including our emotional, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual health, where each of these has a profound impact on the other. If one is out of balance, our children’s mental health can become unbalanced therefore, we must address the challenges in the correct way to keep each of these components in our children’s lives in balance.
Family is bliss! But as parents we are engaged in an ongoing battle with our children’s minds, looking around ourselves in today’s society is more than enough to understand the level of challenge that we are dealing with. One example could be the questionable content at every turn in books, movies, and music that may question our morals and ethics.
The battle with our kids’ minds is similar and as important as the fight against germs. Researchers have discovered that if you attack germs directly, it strengthens the germs. However, if the body’s immune response to the germs is carefully studied and planned, only then can the germs be defeated. It is critical to teach the body how to fight the germs to overcome them and despite some of us choose not to take the mental part as a core component of better continuity for the family and especially for the kids.
Disruption in family structure can lead to several unfavorable events impacting both the mental health of children and their parents. Not all disruptions have equal effects. More behavioral and emotional problems occur in families turned upside down by divorce compared to other types of disruptions, like the death of a parent.
Certain traits have been identified in caregivers as well as the children themselves that are considered risk factors for abuse. Young age, depression, poverty, substance abuse, and history of mothers and fathers having problems in childhood serve as risk factors.
History of parental psychopathology could affect an increased rate of depression in children among other psychological disorders when compared to children of parents who do not have any emotional illnesses.
Do not be afraid, this is not the objective of my article! We are here to spread awareness of the importance of the family dynamic and its redundancies on the future of the kids. That’s why it is very important to go through therapy as parents and focus on our kid’s wellness not to be obliged to deal with their illnesses in the future.
A mentally healthy family is a happy family!
