Chapter 12family background— the mental health of the parents and
their style of parenting.
But first we should begin with the situation before the
child was born. The following variables have no consistent
measurable effect on the child’s emotional health at 5, 11,
and 16: parents’ education, ethnicity (white vs. other), child
firstborn, child premature, and low birth weight.^11 But the
mental health of both parents (especially the mother) is
crucial, and so is the parenting style of both parents.
This can be seen in Table 12.1. The mental health of
the mother is measured by the Edinburgh Post- natal De-
pression Scale (twice in the first year at months 2 and 8,
and then at ages 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 11). The mental health
of the father is measured by the Crown- Crisp Experiential
Index (twice in the first year at months 2 and 8, and then at
age 1).
Table 12.1. How parents affect the emotional well- being of
their children (ALSPAC) (β- coefficients)Effect on well- being at16 11 5Mother’s mental
health
0.16 (.02) 0.18 (.02) 0.22 (.01)Father’s mental health 0.04 (.02) 0.04 (.01) 0.05 (.01)
Mother’s involvement
(to age 6)
0.04 (.02) 0.02 (.01) 0.09 (.01)Mother’s aggression
(to age 6)
−0.03 (.02) −0.04 (.01) −0.05 (.01)