Parental Stress: Effects on Children

Parental stress is defined as a function of demands perceived by a parent and the parent’s ability to respond to such demands. Parental stress is often influenced by mental health, medical conditions, financial and occupational status, marital relationships, cultural values, and child temperament and developmental stages. The ways in which parents manage stressful situations have major implications for their own psychological and physical well-being, their relationship with their children, and their children’s ability to cope with stress. Parental stress is related to increased internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children. Internalizing symptoms are defined as internally directed emotions such as depression, social isolation, or anxiety. Externalizing symptoms are defined as externally directed emotions such as aggression. Parental stress commonly impacts children in the development of separation ...