Family
Everyone experiences mental distress throughout their life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder, no one should have to go through that struggle alone. Studies have found that being close to your family members can have a positive impact on mental health.
Throughout the teenage years, there is a tendency to withdraw from family relationships and rely primarily on peers and friends. However, a study by Ping Chen and Kathleen Mullan Harris found that, “Females and males who experienced positive adolescent family relationships had significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms from early adolescence to midlife than did those who experienced less positive adolescent family relationships” (Chen and Harris, 2019)
Parents are important to mental health, but spouses play a vital role as well. “Married people, on average, enjoy better mental health, physical health, and longer life expectancy than divorced/separated, widowed, and never-married people” (Thomas, Liu, & Umberson, 2017) There are other factors that influence this, but the study found that happy marriages can endure the stresses of life due to the emotional support that they provide.
Being involved in family relationships can make the difference for the people who struggle with their mental health. Families can provide support and a loving environment for their loved ones dealing with anxiety and depression.
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Don’t know where to start with helping your loved one cope with a mental illness?
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Visit the American Psychiatric Association for some tips on how to address the issue, get them help, and how to support them.
Sources:
Thomas, P. A., Liu, H., & Umberson, D. (2017). Family Relationships and Well-Being. Innovation in aging, 1(3), igx025. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx025
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Chen, P. I., & Harris, K. M. (2019, October 7). Association of Positive Family Relationships With Mental Health Trajectories From Adolescence to Midlife. JAMA Pediatrics. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2752557.