A new study by scientists in the US and UK has found that how you raise your children can literally shape their brains.
Neuroscientists compared the impact of warm parenting with a harsh style, defined as reactive versus psychological or physical aggression, on the brain and mental health of 173 young people aged 3 to 21. Tested.
They have different brain ‘structures’ depending on how the young person has been raised, influencing the connectivity and specialization of different areas of the brain and how children process emotions. I discovered that.
Neuroscientists have found that harsh parenting in early childhood is associated with broad differences in brain development, while harsh parenting in late childhood is associated with differences in more specific parts of the brain associated with emotion regulation. I discovered that there is.
People who received warm parenting during childhood tended to have differences in certain parts of the brain associated with emotions, and reported lower levels of anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic.
The scientists used data from the Family Futures and Child Well-being Survey, which was collected from February 1998 to June 2021 among low-income families in Detroit. Toledo, Ohio. And Chicago.
At ages 3, 5, and 9, parents and some outside observers reported on the family’s parenting style, ranging from harsh to warm.
When children reached age 15, their brains were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to understand their shape and structure, and at age 21, young people self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. did.
Because this study used a large amount of self-reported data, the results may contain inaccuracies or bias. But when the team analyzed the data, they found significant differences in brain structures associated with specific parenting styles.
Happy father and son are having fun in the summer field. A study has found that whether parents treat their children warmly or harshly can affect how their brains develop. Happy father and son are having fun in the summer field. A study has found that whether parents treat their children warmly or harshly can affect how their brains develop. Standlet/Getty Images
Specifically, psychologically aggressive parenting in early childhood (age 3) can lead to segregation of the entire brain (meaning that areas of the brain are more specialized for certain functions) and It was associated with a small worldhood in which areas of the world were not directly connected but could access each other. In a few steps, communication between different areas of the brain becomes possible.
In late childhood (age 9), psychologically aggressive parenting can lead to increased imbalance between the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in decision-making, reasoning, and emotional regulation, and the amygdala, which is key to processing emotions, especially fear and stress. was associated with decreased connectivity. As the connections between these areas improve, you will be able to better manage your emotions.
Warm parenting in middle childhood (age 5) is associated with increased centrality of the amygdala (meaning the amygdala plays a more important role in emotional processing) and decreased centrality of the prefrontal cortex This was linked to the fact that this part of the brain plays a less important role. This can cause your child to become more emotional or reactive.
The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan. University of Maryland. Yale University, Connecticut. Massachusetts General Hospital; Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts; Purdue University, Indiana. University of the West of England, UK. and Columbia University in New York.
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reference
Michael, C., Gard, A.M., Tillem, S., Hardy, F.A., Dunn, E.C., Smith, A.D.C., McLoyd, V.C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Mitchell, C., Monk, C.S., Hyde, L.W. 2024). Developmental timing of the link between parenting, brain structure, and mental health, JAMA Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.4376
