Study Shows Why Happy Childhood Memories Could Lead To Better Health In Adulthood

Jan 01, 2019 by apost team

According to results from a new retrospective study, put together by a team of psychologists in the American Psychological Association, happier kids lead healthier lives.

The study authors say adults are far less likely to suffer health complaints (whether mental or physical) throughout their lives if they have fond memories of their childhood. This is further evidence of the crucial role good parenting plays in a child's future development.

For this research, analysts at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Michigan State looked at survey responses and health data from thousands of American adults. All of this information was taken from the Health and Retirement Study and the National Survey of Midlife Development of the US.

To make these study results easier to tabulate, researchers split over 22,000 patients into two groups. The first group was composed of over-40-year-olds and the second group was made up of Americans over the age of 50. Scientists tracked the 40s group for 18 years and the 50s group for six years.

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It wasn't long before researchers noticed the people with happier childhood memories had fewer health issues. Adults who had fond memories of both their father and mother had the greatest mental and physical health scores.

Even the scientists involved in this project were shocked by these results. Although it might seem hard to believe, something that happened to you 40 or even 50 years ago could have a major impact on your quality of life.

One question researchers wanted to address in this study was whether memories of fathers had as significant an impact on a child's health as mothers. Most of the other studies examining this issue tend to focus solely on the role mothers play in a child's development.

While the data clearly shows children with positive memories of their fathers had fewer depressive episodes, mommas still came out the victors. Study authors note that memories of a nurturing mother seemed to have a more significant effect on a person's wellbeing.

In their paper, study authors suggested the increased importance people place on mothers in childrearing could simply be an expression of cultural stereotypes. As male childrearing becomes more accepted in the broader culture, researchers are curious if the psychological impact of a loving father will increase.

This isn't the first time science has proven the long-lasting effects of childhood memories. Before this study, researchers looked into how childhood memories affect the health of teens and 20-year-olds.

While this research mainly focused on a person's memories of his/her mother, the results were similar to those found in the middle-aged study. Study participants who had more positive childhood memories had a reduced risk of mental issues, chronic health ailments, and drug addiction.

It seems Herr Sigmund Freud was right to focus on his Viennese patients' childhood traumas all those years ago. As this new study clearly shows, childhood memories have a profound impact on our later lives.

So, how do you think memories from your childhood have affected your wellbeing? Tell us your opinions in the comment section below. Plus, be sure to spread this important insight with your friends and relatives.