From eye color to favorite foods, you and your kids share many things. But researchers now believe that you may share something more—mental health problems.

Findings from the University of Washington's Kids Count project show that the emotional well-being of children is strongly linked to their parents' mental health.¹ In turn, parents' mental health is linked to their children's emotions and behavior. Troubled children are likely to have troubled parents, and vice versa.

To learn about the mental health link between parents and children, researchers looked at two factors of parental mental health: (1) "symptoms of poor mental health" (stress) and (2) "high parental aggravation" (anger toward their children). Parents with "symptoms of poor mental health" were likely to report that they felt very depressed and nervous all or most of the time. Parents with "high parental aggravation" were likely to feel that their children were "much harder to care for than most" and were likely to feel angry with their children a great deal. This level of anger goes beyond the frustration that a parent naturally feels when dealing with the challenges of a difficult child.

As a parent, the research may not surprise you. After all, you may have discovered that your mood is influenced by your child's, and that her mood is influenced by yours. Parents and children are deeply sensitive to each other's emotional states, and the behaviors and difficulties of one person—child or parent—naturally affect others in the household.

However, what may surprise you is the extent to which your mental health affects your child's. Elementary school children whose parents experienced symptoms of poor mental health or high parental aggravation (parents who feel stressed or angry toward their children) were almost five times as likely to have severe emotional and behavioral problems as children whose parents reported better mental health or only moderate aggravation. For adolescents, the risk of having severe emotional and behavioral problems was almost three times greater if a parent experienced symptoms of poor mental health or high levels of aggravation. Similarly, parents were about five times more likely to report mental health challenges if they had a child with severe emotional and behavioral problems.

As they looked for possible causes of parental stress and anger, researchers found that many factors contribute to poor parental mental health, including economic hardship, single parenting, unemployment, not completing high school, having a teenager in the house, and latchkey child care. Not all of these factors can be changed, but it is important to consider how you can better your family's mental health. Talk to your family doctor or health care professional about family counseling and other resources that are available in your area. Pay attention to what teachers and other caring adults say about your child's behavior and mood.

Please go to the Getting Treatment section for referrals and more information on mental health.

Sources

¹Washington Kids Count. Family Matters: Mental Health of Children and Parents, last referenced 9/23/03.

Additional Resources:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Mental Health Information Center: Mental Health Services Locator
• SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS): National Toll-Free Help Lines
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy [www.aamft.org]
• National Mental Health Association
• Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health