Mommy’s boys are less likely to have mental health issues, study finds
Mommy’s boys may be mocked for their closeness to their mothers, but there are actually some really redeeming qualities to having this kind of relationship with your mom.
In fact, a study by the Marriage Foundation found that males who are extremely close to their mothers are less likely to suffer from mental health issues and also less likely to experience unpopularity at school.
The same was found to be true for daddy’s girls.
Less likely to have emotional problems when they grow up
Mommy’s boys and daddy’s girls are mocked as a stereotypical joke, but research shows it’s really helpful for children to have a close relationship with a parent of the opposite gender.
Researchers analyzed data from the Millennium Cohort Study from 11,000 moms, looking at the mental wellbeing of their children.
Experts concluded that children who are closer to the parent of the opposite sex fare better at coping with stresses and pressures of teenage life.
Mommy’s boys were 14 to 41 percent less likely to suffer from emotional problems in their teens compared to their peers. The same is said to be true for daddy’s girls, with 44 percent less likely to have mental health problems.
The biggest factor affecting teenage mental health problems was family breakdown.
Harry Benson, who co-authored the study with Professor Steve McKay from the University of Lincoln, said: “Our analysis shows once again that family breakdown remains the number one driver of teenage mental health problems.
“Our really interesting new finding is that boys and girls are especially influenced by their relationship with the opposite sex parent.
“Boys who are close to their mom tend to have better mental health, as do girls who are close to their dad.
“The fact that these links only apply to one parent and not both suggests that it’s the closeness with parents that affects the child’s mental health and not the other way around.”
Meanwhile, Sir Paul Coleridge, chairman of Marriage Foundation, says he believes a strong relationship with the parent of the opposite sex boosts “self-esteem and peer group relationship skills – both of which support sound mental health.”
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