When it comes to family, many people may think “the more the merrier,” but recent research suggests that might not be the case for some.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that teens with more siblings report poorer mental health than those from other backgrounds. small family.
“The association between number of siblings and mental health was negative in two large datasets from different countries (the United States and China),” said lead author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State University. one Doug Downey told FOX News Digital.
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The large-scale study, published last month in the Journal of Family Issues, included more than 9,400 eighth graders in China and more than 9,100 children of the same age in the United States.
Participants from both countries answered various questions about themselves. mental health.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that teens with more siblings report poorer mental health than teens with smaller families. (St. Petersburg)
Based on the responses, it was found that among Chinese teenagers, those without siblings had the best mental health.
In the United States, teens with no siblings or only one sibling had the best mental health.
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Age differences between siblings also appear to be a factor, the study found.
Those with older siblings or siblings born within a year of each other were shown to be the worst off. mental health.
One theory for the findings is what Downey calls the “resource dilution” explanation.
“However, having more siblings reduces the resources available to each child; [less] “Parental attention is needed, which can affect mental health,” said one of the researchers. (St. Petersburg)
“If you think of a parent's resources like a pie, having one child means they get the whole pie, all the parents' attention and resources,” the university's press release said. stated in the release.
“However, having more siblings reduces the resources available to each child; [less] They need attention from their parents, which can affect their mental health. ”
“If you think of parental resources like a pie, having one child means you get the whole pie: all of the parents' attention and resources.”
The researchers were surprised by the results, Downey said, given that previous studies had shown hints of positive outcomes associated with siblings, such as improved social skills and a lower chance of divorce. Stated.
“We cannot conclude that there is a causal relationship.”
The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations.
“we, [the] Number of siblings and poor people mental health — but we don’t know if it’s causal,” Downey said.
The researchers also did not analyze the quality of sibling relationships, which can have a direct impact on mental health.
The researchers were surprised by this finding, as previous studies had shown hints of positive outcomes related to siblings. However, they noted that the study had limitations. For example, they did not analyze the quality of sibling relationships. (St. Petersburg)
Downey said it is too early to recommend changes in human behavior based on these findings at this time.
“Academics are just beginning to understand the impact of changes in birth rates,” he told Fox News Digital.
“as Declining birth rate It added: “It is becoming increasingly important to understand the effects of growing up with fewer siblings. In this case, the evidence appears to be positive.”
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Kim Arrington, a clinical psychologist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, was not involved in the study but provided input on the findings.
“With this study, we are seeing the consequences of modern societies evolving away from agricultural societies, where having multiple children can be an advantage in farming,” she said. he told Fox News Digital.
“'Resource dilution' in psychology suggests that as the number of children in a family increases, resources such as time, attention, money, etc., available to parents decrease,” the psychologist said on FOX News told Digital. (St. Petersburg)
“Today, due to the increased professionalization and economic demands in our culture, many households require two working parents, which reduces the resources they need in the form of parental attention. It definitely has an impact on society. child development. ”
In Arrington's view, modern cultures are also less likely to have the multigenerational households and communities that served as additional sources of childcare in the past, when it was easier for families to share resources. That's what it means.
“Previous studies have shown that having more siblings is an advantage, but overall the data are mixed.”
Dr. Alex Dimitriou, a psychiatrist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine in California, who was not involved in the OSU study, also shared his thoughts on the concept of “research dilution.”
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“In psychology, “resource dilution'' means parent resourceThings like time, attention, and financial resources decrease as the number of children in a family increases,” he told FOX News Digital.
“The authors also say that previous studies have shown an advantage for having more siblings, so overall the data are mixed,” he added.
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Dimitriu said he expects there will be a “sweet spot” in the number of siblings.
“According to this study, it appears that 0:1 may be optimal, but we would also expect that many factors influence this, including socio-economic factors, parental divorce, and parenting style.”
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