In Case You Haven't Heard

Abstract

People who have fond memories of childhood, specifically their relationships with their parents, tend to have better health, less depression and fewer chronic illnesses as older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association (APA). The researchers used data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States and the Health and Retirement Study, with more than 22,000 participants. The first study followed adults in their mid‐40s for 18 years and the second followed adults 50 and over for six years. The surveys included questions about perceptions of parental affection, overall health, chronic conditions and depressive symptoms. Participants in both groups who reported remembering higher levels of affection from their mothers in early childhood experienced better physical health and fewer depressive symptoms later in life. Those who reported memories with more support from their fathers also experienced fewer depressive symptoms, according to William J. Chopik, Ph.D., from Michigan State University and lead author of the study, according to an APA press release. “One might expect childhood memories to matter less and less over time, but these memories still predicted better physical and mental health when people were in middle age and older adulthood,” he said. The findings were published in Health Psychology.