Positive Parenting Can Help Protect Against the Effects of Stress in Childhood and Adolescence, New Study Shows

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

he big idea

Warm and supportive parenting may buffer against the effects of stress during childhood and adolescence. That is the key takeaway of our recent study, published in the journal PNAS Nexus.

Some children and adolescents who experience stressful events such as physical abuse or neglect have less tissue in a brain region called the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a critical role in learning and memory and is also highly susceptible to stress.

However, in our study, we did not find a link between increased stress and reduced brain tissue in the hippocampus for young people who reported more warmth from their caregivers.

Positive parenting includes a range of warm and supportive techniques such as providing praise for doing something well, emotional support and affection. Contrast this with harsh parenting techniques, such as shouting and physical punishments.

As a first step, we explored whether positive parenting protected against a connection between childhood stress and behavioral problems in children.

Why it matters

Past research has found that the hippocampus is smaller in children and adults exposed to high levels of stress in childhood. These smaller volumes are in turn associated with behavioral problems, learning and memory challenges and increased vulnerability to future stress.

Our study highlights the importance of nurturing parenting in promoting healthy brain development and resilience in children. By fostering an environment of warmth and support, caregivers can help children cope with stress more effectively. Dozens of studies have found that positive parenting practices – such as helping children name emotions and providing a space for them to disclose feelings without judgment – can help kids get through difficult events.

What other research is being done

Our team’s work and that of others underscores that stressful experiences can have a detrimental impact on development. Many researchers are trying to understand which aspects of stress matter and how.

For example, experiences that are threatening, like violence, may influence the brain and behavior differently from experiences of deprivation, like not having enough food.

At the same time, while researchers think that certain types of stress have particular characteristics, the person experiencing the stress may not feel that way. That is, not having enough food might feel very threatening to the person going through it. Our study indicates that it is critical to center the perspectives of those directly affected by the stress in this area of research.