Psychological outcomes in midadulthood associated with mother's child-rearing attitudes in early childhood--evidence from the 1970 British birth cohort

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2004 Feb;13(1):35-41. doi: 10.1007/s00787-004-0355-5.

Abstract

This study used longitudinal data from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) to examine the role of mother's child-rearing attitudes assessed when cohort members were aged 5 in children's psychological well-being (psychological functioning, psychological distress, life satisfaction and self-efficacy) at age 30. Although at the multivariate level mother's childrearing attitudes were not related to sons' psychological well-being in adult life, in daughters self-efficacy and life satisfaction at age 30 were related to mother's anti-child autonomy attitudes and mother's non-authoritarian child-rearing attitudes, respectively. In addition, mother's non-authoritarian childrearing attitudes had a protective effect against later psychological distress and low self-efficacy in daughters who had experienced significant material disadvantage in early childhood.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude*
  • Child Rearing / psychology*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Family / psychology
  • Female
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Maternal Behavior / psychology*
  • Mental Health*
  • Mother-Child Relations*
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Parenting / psychology
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Psychometrics
  • Self Efficacy
  • Social Class
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United Kingdom