Health

Study finds long-term benefits for children that have close bond with their parents

By Mallika Marshall, MD

October 9, 2023 / 5:40 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - A new study stresses why it's so important for parents to forge a close bond with their children.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge studied data on 10,000 people in the United Kingdom and found that those who were closer to their parents at age three were more likely to be "pro-social" and demonstrate "kindness, empathy, and generosity, by adolescence."

They also tended to have fewer mental health problems.

Children who had strained or abusive relationships with their parents were less likely to develop pro-social habits over time.

The researchers are calling on policies to support young families who may struggle to develop strong parent-child relationships due to financial strain, work pressure, or lack of time.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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