October 10th each year marks World Mental Health Day and is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme of ‘mental health is a universal human right’. To coincide with this we’re sharing some findings from a recent study conducted on the role of parenting practices in parent and child mental health over time. We’re also sharing some tips on how to practice self-care and self-compassion, taken from our Love, Loss and Living course on managing the emotions of being separated from your child.
You can view the full study on the impact of shared parenting on mental health, which was conducted between April 2020 and November 2021 taking into consideration the views of 1027 parents, here, but some of the key findings were:
- Shared parenting was associated with better parent mental health across all age groups and better child mental health (ages 2–5 years: emotion and conduct problems; ages 13–18 years: irritability).
- Whilst pre-Covid-19 pandemic studies indicated that women spent between 2 and 10 times more time on unpaid household and childcare labour than men across all levels of income, and paternal involvement in childcare was associated with their own gender-role views, a different pattern emerged during the pandemic. For instance, in Germany, a programme intended to buffer economic and labour market problems allowed workers to keep their jobs and salary but work reduced hours. Fathers participating in this programme engaged in more housework and childcare, in particular those with low or medium educational level.
- In the USA, parents who reported having no help in household and childcare labour were more likely to reduce paid work hours or completely drop out of work, and therefore the study found that shared parenting may support workforce participation, benefitting the family unit economically
- With a few exceptions, multiple reports indicate more equitable sharing of household and childcare labour by parents in diverse cultures during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the division of household labour and childcare was perceived to be more equitable, mothers reported fewer relationship problems and better coping skills.
- The study found that shared parenting had the largest effect on the mental health of parents with adolescent children – higher levels of shared parenting were also associated with decreased symptoms of irritability in adolescents.
- Parenting conflicts, particularly those concerning co-parenting, were also linked to worse parent-adolescent relationship quality, and family conflict was the leading cause of mental distress in adolescents
- The study found that shared parenting may have buffered the effects of social isolation for adolescents during the pandemic
- The study also found that higher levels of shared parenting were associated with fewer emotional and conduct problems in children aged 2-5 years
- Overall, the report concluded that shared parenting is beneficial for parent and child mental health, even under chaotic or inflexible life conditions.
Practicing self-care and self-compassion
The following eight tips on how to practice self-care and to be kind to ourselves were developed by psychotherapist Jan Montgomery for our free training programme Love, Loss and Living, which you can find out more about in the video opposite.
Sleep and Rest
Ensuring that we have good sleep hygiene is essential for good mental health. By establishing a solid bedtime routine and a good sleep environment (eg. try to avoid screens late at night) we can make ourselves feel far more rested and relaxed.
Empathy
We often hear about having empathy for others but don’t speak as much about empathy for ourselves. Try to treat yourself with the same kindness and support you’d show a good friend. You deserve understanding and compassion just as much as the people around you do, and so it’s a powerful gift you can give yourself.
Learning
This doesn’t necessarily need to be related to your academic work. It’s more about being curious, exploring new things, learning from other people’s experiences, and just learning something new for the sake of it. Think of something you’ve always wanted to be able to and start to work towards that goal today!
Food
Eating healthy is key to ensuring good physical and mental health. Try to eat meals regularly, eat a variety of foods so you’re getting as many nutrients as possible, and ensure that you drink enough water throughout the day. Planning meals ahead and batch cooking is a great gift to give your future self as it makes eating healthily easier and less time-consuming.
Connect
It is important that we are able to connect on a deep level with the world around us. This goes beyond the importance of connecting with friends, family, and communities around us and supporting and loving each other – it could be a connection with animals, nature, or a spiritual connection.
Ask for Help
The thought of reaching out for help and support can sometimes feel overwhelming, but know that support is always there to be leaned on when you need it: you can’t and shouldn’t try to do everything alone, especially if you’re struggling.
Realistic
It is important that we are able to connect on a deep level with the world around us. This goes beyond the importance of connecting with friends, family, and communities around us and supporting and loving each other – it could be a connection with animals, nature, or a spiritual connection.
Exercise
The thought of reaching out for help and support can sometimes feel overwhelming, but know that support is always there to be leaned on when you need it: you can’t and shouldn’t try to do everything alone, especially if you’re struggling.
