by A team of researchers at the University of Michigan has found that harsh parenting in infancy can have effects on children well into puberty.
The data comes from the “Future of Families and Child Well-being” study and was collected between February 1998 and June 2021. The current study sample includes an analysis of 173 adolescents.
“Harsh parenting in late childhood particularly affected the corticolimbic circuit – a specific part of the brain that includes the amygdala and frontal cortex and is involved in processing and regulating emotions,” the research said.
It’s not all bad news, however.
The team also found that warm parenting – which they define as “responsiveness” – in middle childhood is linked to how the amygdala (a small part of the brain involved in emotions and threat processing) interacts differently with other parts of the brain is connected.
Importantly, parental warmth predicted reductions in anxiety and depression 15 years later during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its effects on the amygdala.
Why this research is hopeful
“Understanding these sensitive periods can lead to more effective policy and intervention strategies,” says Luke Hyde, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and faculty fellow at the Institute for Social Research.
Cleanthis Michael, a graduate student and first author of the study, says the “results suggest that earlier interventions may provide broader benefits for brain development.”
Michael added, “Because these experiences appeared to influence later risk for depression and anxiety, this study highlights times of vulnerability and opportunities for treatments and policies to promote healthy, long-term development.” Interventions for parents and policies to support parents can have more profound effects earlier in life.”
Strict parenting is often harmful
Counselor Marissa Moore wrote about strict parenting for PsychCentral and said, “Strict parenting has some benefits, such as making your children behave in public or setting high expectations for themselves when it comes to achieving their goals.”
“However, the long-term effects of authoritarian parenting tend to negatively impact children’s self-esteem, academic performance, and overall life satisfaction.”
Instead, she recommends authoritative parenting, explaining, “Authoritarian parenting that strikes a balance between rules and support for non-compliance appears to produce the best results.”
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