Kids are depressing
Categories: Just for moms, Just for dads, Love & sex, Divorce & custody
Analysis of data taken from studies in the 1980's and 1990's shows that those who have children are more likely to be depressed than those who do not. This, according to Florida State University Professor Robin Simon, is due to the fact that children and worrying go hand in hand.
"Parents have more to worry about than other people do-that's the bottom line," he said. "And that worry does not diminish over time. Parents worry about their kids' emotional, social, physical and economic well-being. We worry about how they're getting along in the world."
But all worrying is not equal and the study found that those with adult children and those without custody of their young children, tend to be more depressed. "Young children in some ways are emotionally easier," Simon said. "Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems." That's an understatement if I ever heard one.
While the research did show that unmarried parents were more depressed than married parents, mothers and father suffered equally. Simon speculates that part of the problem is the fact that Americans tend to raise their families in isolation and without as much community support as parents in other countries.
"Parents have more to worry about than other people do-that's the bottom line," he said. "And that worry does not diminish over time. Parents worry about their kids' emotional, social, physical and economic well-being. We worry about how they're getting along in the world."
But all worrying is not equal and the study found that those with adult children and those without custody of their young children, tend to be more depressed. "Young children in some ways are emotionally easier," Simon said. "Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems." That's an understatement if I ever heard one.
While the research did show that unmarried parents were more depressed than married parents, mothers and father suffered equally. Simon speculates that part of the problem is the fact that Americans tend to raise their families in isolation and without as much community support as parents in other countries.
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