A Canadian study concludes that interpersonal relationships at home, school and with peers are integral to teenagers having positive mental health.
As City News Toronto reports, the study used a questionnaire given to more than 26,000 Canadian students between grades 6 and 10 that examined how relationships with parents, teachers and peers affected their mental health. Their responses were then compared to responses of children in the same age group living in 40 other countries.
“We focused it on mental health for a reason,” said study co-author John Freeman. “Mental health is a large issue for Canada’s young people right now. It’s in our conversations … It’s in the news. And we found consistently, no matter which group we looked at, even with neighborhoods as well, that relationships mattered. Those students who reported stronger relationships also reported better indices of mental health.”
The results revealed that adolescents who reported it being “very difficult” or “difficult” to talk with their mothers are far more likely to have high levels of emotional problems, with similar stats being reported when a teen has trouble speaking to his or her father.
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.