The study shows that a happy childhood does not always protect you from mental health problems

It is well known that negative childhood experiences can increase the risk of developing mental health problems, but this sad fact alone does not explain every person who later develops forms of psychological suffering.

In a recent study, researchers tried to explore how people’s life histories influenced the development of psychopathology – the abnormal thoughts and behaviors that underlie mental disorders.

As we might expect, the results of the research were mixed: negative childhood experiences may indeed manifest as anxiety or other mental health disorders later in life, but the absence of such experiences does not guarantee that you will be free from subsequent psychological problems, scientists say.

“This research shows that mental health conditions are not only determined by early life events,” explains evolutionary psychologist Bianca Kahl of the University of South Australia.

“A child who is raised in a happy home could grow up and have a mental health disorder.”

This may sound like an obvious result, but it is important research that helps break down the stigma that mental health problems only happen to some people.

In the study, Kahl and fellow researchers surveyed 343 participants through an online questionnaire, asking them about their family and education, along with several questions that explore the nature of their developmental trajectory, mental health, general well-being, and the nature of relationships. their attachments. today.

“The study specifically aimed to explore whether the features of life history were associated with a general factor of psychopathology or whether they could also predict specific groups of symptoms,” the authors explain in their paper.

In this context, the features of life history are part of what is called life history theory – a framework for analyzing how different types of life strategies could influence the patterns and experiences that people go through over time.

In a very simplified sense, life history strategies can be characterized as fast or slow, with rapidity often meaning impulsive and decision-oriented and behavioral, as opposed to slow traits, which reflect more deliberate, future-oriented decision-making and behavior.

What Kahl and her team wanted to analyze was whether fast or slow life strategies were predictive of a general “p-factor,” representing a general risk or a likelihood of developing psychopathology and related mental disorders, which in the past – have proven to be linked to rapid life history strategies.

“We set out to answer the research question: how do we differentiate the different symptoms of psychopathology from the fast-slow continuum of life history?” the researchers write.

“We hypothesized that childhood attachment would moderate the association between early living environment and the symptoms of psychopathology, with those who perceived greater parental support potentially buffered by the effect of environmental harshness in childhood and, in turn, reporting fewer symptoms of psychopathology “.

In the study, the team found that faster life history traits were associated with general psychopathology, but the results showed that some symptoms of psychopathology were actually associated with slow life history traits.

“Poorly perceived parental support and lower socio-economic status were associated with higher rates of general psychopathology in women and men, respectively,” the team explains.

These findings are complementary to previous work demonstrating an association between experienced adversity and p-factor.

However, outside of this general association, psychopathological symptoms were somewhat divided, with results showing that interpersonal sensitivity and depression were more likely for those with a faster life history strategy, while somatization and anxiety were higher. for people with a slower life history strategy.

As to whether a happy childhood (specifically, perceived parental support) acted as a kind of buffer against psychopathology, the researchers found that their hypothesis was not supported by data – suggesting that the relationship is more complex and highlights a direction for future research. , so we can figure out what’s really going on here.

“We suspect that our expectations of our environments and our ability to adapt to scenarios where our expectations are not being met can influence our experiences of suffering,” says Kahl.

“If, as children, we learn how to adapt to change and learn how to cope when things don’t go our way, we may be in a better position to respond to stress and other factors. risk for poor mental health ”.

The findings are reported in Current psychology.

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