The study by Shaw, Krause, Chatters, Connell and Ingersoll-Dayton (2004) looked at the relationship between emotional support from parents in early life and its effects on physical and mental health throughout life and into old age. Previous studies have shown a correlation between a lack of parental support in childhood and psychological problems in later life, but few have looked at the effects of parental support on physical health. This study looked at the effects of parental support on adults from age 24 through 75 years. It found that strong parental support in childhood led to better physical and mental health throughout adulthood into old age, and poor parental support in childhood led to chronic physical problems and depression and other psychological problems in adulthood. The factors involved appear to be personal control, self-esteem, and negative interaction in both cases. The relationship is stronger for psychological health than for physical health, and more clearly defined and easier to demonstrate.
One problem with the study is that people were questioned for the study at only one point in time, and many factors could have affected how they answered at this time (Shaw, Krause, Chatters, Connell and Ingersoll-Dayton 8). A study following subjects over a number of years would have been more relevant. Also, as there was a considerable age range of subjects, it is important to note that a person's views of how much parental support they received as children may have changed over the course of their lifetime in older subjects. Memories may have faded with the years, or been enhanced, depending on intervening circumstances. Older subjects may have been looking back more than 60 years, and their memories would have been colored by life's events. Those in their 20s were only looking back a few years. Many cofounders happen through the course of life to alter parental influences, and these are difficult to defi...