Parents have always been concerned about the well-being of their children and what the future will hold for them. It appears however, that those concerns are escalating.
A new survey shows that more than half of American adults believe children have worse emotional and mental health than children in previous generations.
Many of the nearly 2,700 respondents in the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health stated they also believe youngsters today have higher stress levels, less quality family time, and poorer coping skills and personal friendships. Mott is part of the University of Michigan.
42 percent of the adults surveyed said they also believe children today have worse physical health than when they were children.
“We have seen major advances in medicine and public health over the last century that have greatly reduced children’s illness and death. On the other hand, conditions like childhood obesity, asthma, and behavior problems have become more common,” poll director Dr. Matthew Davis said in a university news release. Davis is a professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at C.S. Mott.
Previous polls by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital have found that adults consider bullying, stress, suicide, and depression to also be leading child health concerns.
Join the Discussion
Comments are currently closed.