Family is for life: connections between childhood family experiences and wellbeing in early adulthood
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2010
Authors
Price Robertson, R.
Smart, D.
Bromfield, L.
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Journal article
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Family Matters, 2010; 85(85):7-17
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Abstract
A large body of international research has shown that the experiences of childhood can exert an enduring influence on an individual's life. However, there is a dearth of recent Australian research demonstrating connections between childhood experiences within the family, and outcomes in adulthood. The current study provides prevalence figures for a range of childhood familial experiences (both positive and adverse), and examines the associations between these experiences and psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood. The sample comprised 1,000 participants of the Australian Temperament Project, a longitudinal study of children's development that commenced in 1983 and has collected 14 waves of data over the first 24 years of life. Key findings suggest that positive development (or "doing well") in young adulthood relies on the active investment of caregivers' love, affection and encouragement during childhood, rather than simply the absence of adverse experiences. They also indicate that although young adult survivors of childhood maltreatment may be faring adequately in the social sphere, they are still much more likely than others to suffer from internalising problems such as depression and anxiety.
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Copyright 2010 Commonwealth of Australia. Article provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC-BY 3.0) licence