How Children React to Parents’ Stress

Scientists from the American Psychological Association published an article in the Science magazine in which they explored the impact of parental stress on children. The article quoted shocking findings that 88% of parents do not realize that their stress has negative effect on their children.

Specialists note that only 14% of children are not exposed to negative effects of parental depression and neuroses, which are common responses to stress from everyday life. The remaining 86% of younger generation face the heavy burden of stress of their parents.

During the study the scientists surveyed tens of thousands of children and their parents. The psychologists examined the results and concluded that 43% of adolescents, ages up to 14, suffer from anxiety due to the stressed state of their parents; 37% of children noted that at those moments they feel empty and lose sense of joy of life; 34% admitted that they get extremely depressed from observing their parents being stressed out.

The authors of the article highlight that parents need to explain to their children the nature of their stress and how to deal with it. If the children will not learn to understand mechanism of stress and methods how to overcome it, then they may face serious psychological problems and psychosomatic illnesses in the future.

Source of the image: Photl.