Parental/childhood
Childhood relationships with parents manifest through a teenagers mental health a teenager due to many factors. This was described by psychologist Sigmund Freud theory that “primary personal development is based upon one’s early childhood”, and although dated, new studies also explain this.
Traumatic childhood experiences impact mental health, which is seen through psychological stress that originates from poverty, maltreatment, divorces, abuse, abandonment etc. To put the extent of impact into perspective, research experiments show that simply a parental divorce increases the likelihood of facing depression by 56%. Therefore, parental influences are seen to impact mental health as it causes traumatic experiences which are demonstrated by mental illnesses of isolation, depression, anxiety, panic disorders etc. Furthermore, as teenagers, it is difficult to address emotions, as they cultivate as teenagers mature, neglected feelings are expressed through mental health disorders.
Parents contribute to genetic-based mental illnesses, opening up more mental illnesses such as, autism, ADHD, bipolar, depression and schizophrenia which impact a teenagers mental health because of judgement from society, which is typically harsher because of stigmas cultivated from history, defining normality. This reduces access to jobs, health education, relationships etc., additionally, negativity associated with people with mental illnesses causes further mental damage from exclusion, isolation, depression and anxiety.
Due to generational gaps, parents are unable to understand the problems teenagers face, as social developments influence teenagers’ mental health differently. The inability to connect with their parents, described through research, negatively impact their mental health, because, open communication helps to deal with mental illnesses. Furthermore, feelings of alienation are noted to decrease trust and communication, causing depressive and anxiety symptoms.
