A new longitudinal study of parents and children in the UK found that children whose mothers are more likely to suffer from internalizing problems such as anxiety or withdrawal, which can lead to disorders such as depression. On the other hand, children whose mothers were atheists were more likely to have externalized problems, such as aggressiveness or defiance. The study was published in psychological medicine.
Mental health problems in childhood can be difficult for both the child and the family. These problems can take two forms: internalization and externalization. With internalization problems, children struggle with their thoughts and feelings and often feel anxious, sad, or withdrawn. Externalizing problems are present when children’s behavior becomes problematic, such as when they are impulsive, aggressive, or defiant.
Parent-dependent factors such as the socioeconomic status of the family or the mental health of the parents can play an important role in maintaining children’s mental health. Recent studies have also suggested that parental religiosity is a factor contributing to children’s mental health, but results in this regard have been inconsistent.
Some studies have reported an association between parental religiosity and children’s internalization problems, such as the development of anxiety or depression. Other studies have reported associations with externalization problems, while others have found no association at all.
Study author Isaac Halstead and his colleagues noted that the conclusions of many of these studies are limited by the fact that they were conducted on small or appropriate groups of people. To ameliorate this situation, these researchers decided to analyze data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) with the goal of understanding the association between maternal religiosity and a range of mental health outcomes in children as young as 7 years old to investigate. 8 years old
The ALSPAC study was conducted to understand how genetic and environmental factors affect parental and child health and development. The participants were pregnant women living in a specific area of south-west England who were expected to give birth between April 1991 and December 1992. Approximately 14,000 parents and children were included in the study and they were followed over the next 30 years, making assessments on various issues through factors such as demographics, physiology, social aspects and psychology.
For this study, researchers analyzed data on religiosity, mental health of children as young as 7 years of age (reported by parents using the Development and Wellbeing Assessment), and psychosocial outcomes (reported by children as young as 8 years of age). The mothers were divided into four groups based on their religiosity: highly religious, moderately religious, agnostic and atheist. Psychosocial consequences included bullying, school literacy, self-esteem, happiness with friends, and antisocial behavior.
Results showed that children of highly religious mothers were at higher risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and oppositional defiance disorder compared to children of agnostic mothers. Children of moderately religious mothers were at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and oppositional defiance disorder. Finally, children of atheistic mothers had a higher risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and behavioral disorders, but were less likely to be bullied or unhappy with friends compared to children of agnostic mothers.
Looking at the psychosocial consequences, children of highly religious mothers are at higher risk of antisocial behavior and bullying and less likely to be bullied. Children of moderately religious mothers had a higher risk of antisocial behavior and lower school competency compared to children of agnostic mothers. Children of atheist mothers were at higher risk of antisocial behavior but were less likely to be bullied or unhappy with friends.
“The current study found evidence that maternal religious beliefs are associated with a range of psychological and psychosocial outcomes in their offspring aged 7 to 8 years. Compared to children of agnostic mothers, the children of highly religious and moderately religious parents had a higher risk of internalizing symptoms, and the children of atheistic parents had a higher risk of externalizing symptoms. However, there was no clear outcome pattern for psychosocial outcomes,” the study authors concluded.
While this study provides valuable insight into the relationship between parental religiosity and children’s mental health, it also has limitations. Many participants discontinued the study between the start and end of data collection. Although the study aimed to include all residents of the defined areas who met the study conditions, participants with higher religiosity and better socioeconomic status were more likely to agree to participate.
The article “Examining the role of maternal religiosity in offspring mental health using latent class analysis in a prospective cohort study in the United Kingdom” was authored by Isaac Halstead, Jon Heron, Connie Svob and Carol Joinson.