A childhood full of good memories could be beneficial to your health today

MONDAY, Nov. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) – According to a new study, remembering a good relationship with your parents during childhood can be beneficial for your physical and mental health.

The study found that older people with good memories of early relationships with their parents were more likely to be in better health, to have fewer chronic illnesses and a lower risk of depression.

The researchers analyzed two databases with more than 22,000 people in the United States. They were followed from age 40 for 18 years or six years after age 50.

According to the study, people who remembered more and more affection from their mothers during their infancy had better physical health and fewer symptoms of depression. It was published on November 5 in the newspaper Psychology of health.

The study also revealed that fathers had fewer symptoms of depression among participants who recalled receiving more help from their father during their childhood.

"One could expect childhood memories to become less and less important over time, but these memories still predicted better physical and mental health in people of average and advanced age." ", said the study's lead author, William Chopik, in a press release. Chopik is an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University.

The study revealed that an association and did not prove the cause and effect. But the link between good childhood memories and better health later in life was stronger for those who remembered having a good relationship with their mother, as opposed to their father.

This "may reflect the broader cultural circumstances of the time when the participants were raised because the mothers were probably the primary caregivers," said Robin Edelstein, co-author of the study. She directs the Personality, Relationships and Hormones Laboratory at the University of Michigan.

"Given changing cultural norms about the role of fathers in caregiving, it is possible that the results of future studies on people born in recent years may be more focused on relationships. with their fathers, "said Edelstein.

Chopik said that memory plays an important role in how people make sense of the world and determine their behavior. "As a result, our memories of the past can guide us in many different ways," he said.

Good memories seem to have a positive effect on health and well-being, probably because they reduce stress or help people make healthy choices, he said.

Previous research has found a link between good memories and good health among young adults, said Chopik.

More information

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