Power of Parenting: How Authoritative Parenting Style Promotes Better Mental Health in Children

Source: Medindia

How different parenting styles can affect children's mental health has been explained by a recent study published in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry. The study examined the relationship between parenting styles and the brain's response to stress in adolescents.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Michigan, led by Dr. Nestor Lopez-Duran. The team recruited 106 adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years and asked them to complete questionnaires that assessed their parents' parenting styles. The study then used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the adolescents' brain activity while they were exposed to a stressor.

Different Types of Parenting Styles

The study found that parenting styles can have a significant impact on children's mental health. The researchers identified four distinct parenting styles:

• Authoritative parenting:

   Parents who are warm, responsive, and set reasonable expectations for their children.

• Authoritarian parenting: 

  Parents who are strict and enforce rules without being responsive to their children's needs.

• Permissive parenting: 

  Parents who are warm and responsive but set few limits on their children's behavior.

• Neglectful parenting:

   Parents who are neither warm nor responsive and fail to set appropriate limits on their children's behavior.

The study found that adolescents who reported having authoritative parents had lower levels of activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain that is involved in the stress response, compared to those who reported having authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful parents. Lower amygdala activity is associated with better stress regulation and a lower risk of developing anxiety and depression.

On the other hand, adolescents who reported having authoritarian parents had higher levels of activity in the amygdala compared to those who reported having authoritative parents. Higher amygdala activity is associated with poorer stress regulation and a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression.

How Parenting Styles Shape Children's Mental Health

The findings of this study have important implications for parents and mental health professionals. Parents who adopt an authoritative parenting style can help their children develop better stress regulation, which can protect them from developing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. On the other hand, parents who adopt an authoritarian parenting style may inadvertently increase their children's risk of developing mental health problems.

Mental health professionals can use this information to help parents develop more effective parenting strategies. For example, mental health professionals can encourage parents to be warm and responsive while setting reasonable expectations for their children.

In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of parenting styles in shaping children's mental health. The findings suggest that an authoritative parenting style can help children develop better stress regulation, which can protect them from developing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Mental health professionals can use this information to help parents develop more effective parenting strategies and promote better mental health outcomes for children.