The importance of open communication between parents and children for child mental health

February 11, 2014 · by Student Contributor · in Child, Home. ·

On February 4, 2014 the Globe and Mail published an article on the importance of a child’s mental health, titled “How to nurture the single most important part of your child’s well –being: Their mental health”.  This article emphasized the role of parent-child communication and how that helps to develop and foster a healthy and stable mind in children. Mental health is recognized to have a substantial effect on the child’s physical health and development. Furthermore, the article discussed several ways to effectively communicate with children and to have an ongoing and a stimulating conversation. Dr. Peter Szatmari, chief of the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at SickKids, CAMH and the University of Toronto, suggested the following for parents: to take care of their own mental health and be a healthy example for their children; to always be affectionate and provide a stable and nurturing environment; and, to  communicate everyday experiences with kids. Effective communication should create a comfortable environment for the child to be open and feel like they belong. The article stressed the importance to inspire, encourage and engage the children through effective communication.
Dr. Peter Szatmari stated the following in his contribution to the Globe and Mail: “One of our most important jobs as parents is to keep the lines of communication open, whatever the obstacles or whatever disaster has occurred”. This statement led me to understand that open communication during childhood is essential to help kids cope with everyday encounters and to maintain sound mental health. However, how exactly does effective communication help sustain mental health in children and most importantly, how does a family maintain open communication when, for example, the marital relationship is going through a turmoil such as divorce. Several scholarly articles were explored to provide evidence for the questions I posed.
Several scientific studies have emphasized the importance of having an open communication environment to engage children and reduce their mental health problems. A study conducted in 2004 on Dutch children, aged 4 to 18 years, reported that mental health issues were most common in families that exercised poor parent-child communication (Theo, Treffers, Veerman & Verhulst, 2004).  These children demonstrated anxiety concerns, depression and increased social hostility. It also showed that the older children tended to internalize their everyday problems more often than the younger lot. This may be due to being accustomed to poor communication within families from their earlier days.
A similar study looked at the association between children’s mental health and the parent-child relationship, examining parental support, parental involvement, communication and satisfaction of parenting (Preston, 2010). Results showed that healthy parent-child communication produced a positive emotional surrounding with increased nurturance and realistic expectations forming a healthy developmental zone for the child (Preston, 2010). Children were more competent, socially accepted, responsive, confident, and independent. The child is more likely to have high self-respect and self-esteem. According to this literature, the main crux of effective parenting relies on efficient and ongoing communication. (A lack of such communication at homes is more likely to lead to mental health concerns during childhood or adolescence. These concerns include mental retardation, learning disorders, motor skills disorders, communication and developmental disorders, attention deficit and disruptive behaviour disorders and elimination disorders. Furthermore, this study stressed the importance of maintaining effective communication in schools, where the child spends most of its day at (Preston, 2010).
A final study explored temperament and parent-child separations (Spomer, 2003). A sample of 9 to 12 year olds with divorced parents experienced parental rejection and very weak communication between parents and child. This rejection was strongly correlated to depression and conduct disorders for children. These children exhibited unpredictable discipline and very impulsive behaviour. Overall, they were found to have negative emotional affect. This study emphasized that one of the main reasons for this is the lack of communication due to fear and frustration leading to the internalization of everyday encounters. This internalization accumulates and develops into issues like depression. In separated families, communication is a challenge, not just because of the literal distance of a parent but also because of the fear aroused from a troubled environment seen at home.
The evidence above further clarify the importance of open communication and the challenge in having candid conversations in families, especially those undergoing marital problems. This newspaper article is very significant as it highlights an underlying issue in child mental health development.  Hence, I feel public health campaigns should be aimed at giving parents advice on how to communicate effectively while maintaining an open and comfortable environment for the child.  Despite there being an abundance of information on raising children physically, the mental aspect of nurturing is often overlooked.  Emphasizing the importance of communication and increasing the awareness of mental health issues in childhood will benefit our society and our healthcare system in the long run. Always the earlier the better!
References
Preston, S. E. (2010). The association between parental perceptions of children’s residential mental health treatment and the parent-child relationship. (Order No. 3446449, Old Dominion University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 238. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/859324504?accountid=14771. (859324504).
Spomer, M. L. (2003). Early parenting and youth adjustment: A longitudinal investigation of temperament and parent-child separations as moderating factors. (Order No. 3087107, The University of Rochester). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 95-95 p. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305312903?accountid=14771. (305312903).
Theo, v. E., Treffers, P. D. A., Veerman, J. W., & Verhulst, F. C. (2004). MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS OF DEAF DUTCH CHILDREN AS INDICATED BY PARENTS’ RESPONSES TO THE CHILD BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST. American Annals of the Deaf, 148(5), 390-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214468244?accountid=14771