Cultural clashes can make it harder for immigrants to parent. Better support can improve their child’s mental health

Worldwide, more than 10% of children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problemIf these problems are not discovered and treated, children may develop the same or other mental health problems. in adulthood.

Preventing mental health problems in children is therefore a global priority.

At the same time, the number of immigrants in Western countries such as Australia is increasing rises—and they face many cultural challenges in a new country. These challenges can affect their parenting and their children’s mental health.

Parents play an important role in children’s mental health. They can help them develop a positive self-image and manage stress, which can prevent anxiety and depression. Immigrant parents can therefore benefit from tailored parenting support as they adjust to a new country, so that they can support their children’s mental health.

Reaching parent programs where they are needed

Governments worldwide recognize the importance of preventing mental health problems in children and are setting aside money for it promotion and treatment of mental health.

In 2022, the Australian Government invested AUD$40.6 million to deliver the evidence-based online parenting programPositive Parenting Program (Triple P) more widely available for support the mental health and well-being of children (up to 11 years).

The Australian National Youth Mental Health Foundation also has a tailored individually Partners in Parenting online program available in 2023 for parents of adolescents aged 12 to 18.

Parents can sign up for these online programs and work through the modules, which include interactive reflection activities and videos, at their own pace.

Comparable programs are available in other western countries.

But such programs still don’t reach enough immigrant familieswho have moved to western countriesalso in Australia.

Our research examined how immigrant parents raise their children and how this affects the mental health of immigrant children. With this knowledge, we can adapt parenting programs to better support immigrant parents in adjusting to parenthood in their new home country.

What have we done?

We combined the results of 56 research studies from seven countries Immigrant parenting and children’s mental healthWe found that the ways in which parenting can affect children’s mental health are largely the same for immigrants and non-immigrantfamilies.

For example, when parents are more caring and supportive and know what their children are doing when they are not there, their children are more likely to have good mental health.

On the other hand, children are more likely to develop mental health problems in families where there is frequent conflict between parents or between parents and children, and where parents are unavailable to their children or have poor mental health themselves.

However, there is a specific problem called ‘acculturative conflict’ where children and parents clash over cultural differencesincluding how to parent according to culture of origin versus Australian expectations. These clashes pose a particular risk for poor mental health for immigrant children.

What is acculturation?

Acculturation occurs when people are exposed to a new culture (such as values, beliefs, language, customs and practices) and attempt to adapt and integrate it. in their daily lives.

Parents and children go through the acculturation process of adjusting to a new cultureParents do this through their work or through interactions with adults.

But children do this differently. Immigrant children tend to pick up the language and values ​​of Western countries faster than their parents. This may be because they learn these things at daycare or school.

Children want to feel like they belong and fit in with their friends, and this is usually a bigger deal for them than it is for adults.

What happens when the acculturation levels of parents and children differ?

When children adapt to the new culture faster than their parents, this often leads to family disagreements and conflicts.

Some of the ways in which these acculturation conflicts between parents and children can play out include:

• parents who show love to their children by providing shelter, food, and a good education. But their children see their friends’ parents showing physical and verbal affection and wish their own parents would do the same, or feel hurt or resentful that they don’t
• Parents set high expectations and strict boundaries to ensure their children do not bring shame to the family, while their offspring find this excessive and unreasonable
• Parents expect their child to behave according to the ‘correct’ standards for people from their cultural background, but young people feel that their parents are too traditional or conservative.

How can we better support parents?

Developers of parenting programs should work with immigrant communities to adapt their existing programs. This could increase parents’ interest in seeking support and benefit the mental health of immigrant children.

Adapting existing evidence-based parenting strategies can help immigrant parents minimize acculturation conflicts with their children and better support their children’s mental health and well-being.

This requires more government support and investment in these programs.

In the meantime, immigrant parents can talk honestly with their children about how they want their parents to express love and care, and make the effort to do so. For example, does their child feel most loved when the parent says “I love you,” buys them a gift they like, or shows interest in something they care about?

Immigrant parents can help their children understand the reasons behind rules and boundaries and involve them in forming expectations. Parents can try to validate their children’s perspectives, even if they don’t always agree. Have a family discussion in which both parent and child have input into what the expectations are (for example, about screen time or bedtime) and what the consequences would be if expectations aren’t met.

This article has been republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.