It is known that negative experiences in childhood can improve the risk of mental health problems, but that sad fact alone does not explain everyone who develops forms of psychological stress.
In a recent study, researchers tried to study how people’s life histories influenced the development of psychopathology – the immoral thoughts and behaviors that often underlie mental disorders.
As we might expect, the results of the research were mixed: negative experiences of childhood can manifest as anxiety or other mental health disorders later in life, but without such experiences there is no guarantee that you will be free from the psychological issues after that, scientists say.
“This research shows that mental health conditions are not only determined by early life events,” explained evolutionary psychologist Bianca Kahl from the University of South Australia.
“A child raised in a happy home could still grow up with a mental health disorder.”
This may sound like an obvious result, but it is an important piece of research that will help break down the stigma that mental health issues 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 upbringing, along with a number of questions examining the nature of the developmental, health pathway. mindset, overall well-being, and the nature of their relationships and connections. today.
“The study specifically aimed to examine whether life history symptoms were related to a common feature of psychopathology or whether they could also predict specific symptom groups,” the authors explain in the their paper.
In this context, life history indicators are part of life history theory – a framework of analyzing how different types of life strategies may influence the patterns and experiences of life. people go through time.
In a very simple way, life history strategies can be characterized as fast or slow, with speed often implying urgent and current decisions and behaviors, as opposed to slow signals. , which reflects more critical decisions, future and behaviors.
What Kahl and her team wanted to analyze was whether fast or slow life strategies predicted a general ‘p-factor’, representing an overall risk or likelihood in the development of psychopathology and associated mental disorders, previously found to be linked. with fast-paced life history strategies.
“We aimed to answer the research question: how do different aspects of psychopathology map the slow-moving life history continuum?” the researchers write.
“We hypothesized that childhood association would measure the link between early life environment and symptoms of psychopathology, with those who had increased parental support seen as a result of the harshness of childhood environment, and themselves reported fewer signs of psychopathology. “
In the study, the team found that faster life history symptoms were associated with generalized psychopathology, but the results showed that some psychopathology symptoms were associated with slower life history symptoms.
“Worse parental support and lower socioeconomic status were associated with higher levels of generalized psychopathology, for both women and men respectively,” the team explains.
“These findings are in line with previous work showing a link between cognitive conflict and the p-factor.”
Outside of that general association, however, the symptoms of psychopathology were somewhat isolated, with the results showing interpersonal sensitivity and depression being more likely for those with a faster life history strategy, but greater satisfaction and anxiety for people with a slower life history strategy.
As to whether happy childhood (in particular, parental support was seen) as a kind of buffer against psychopathology, the researchers found that their hypothesis was not supported by the data – suggesting that the relationship is more complex, and clarifies guidelines for future research. , so we can find out what’s going on here.
“We suspect that our expectations of our environments and our ability to accept situations where our expectations are not being met may have an impact on our experience. we are afflicted, “says Kahl.
“If we, as children, are learning how to adapt to change, and if we learn how to cope when things are not going well, we may be in a better position to deal with stress. and other risk factors for poor mental health. “
The results are reported in Conventional psychology.