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Findings of a new study suggest that being mom’s favourite child has an unexpected disadvantage: they are more likely to be depressed.
Professor Jill Suitor, the study’s first author, explained:
“There is a cost for those who perceive they are the closest emotionally to their mothers, and these children report higher depressive symptoms, as do those who experience the greatest conflict with their mothers or who believe they are the children in whom their mothers are the most disappointed.”
The results showed that the sibling who was felt closest to their mother also had the highest depressive symptoms. Said Dr Megan Gilligan, who co-authored the study:
“This cost comes from higher sibling tension experienced by adult children who are favored for emotional closeness, or the greater feelings of responsibility for the emotional care of their older mothers.”
This article was adapted from the link found below.
Category(s):Adult psychological development, Child Development, Parenting
Source material from PsyBlog
