Does our mental health as teenagers determine our entry into parenthood? Yes, and no.
The effects of parenthood on mental health are complex, but a new study published in Health Sociology Review reveals a different angle to the relationship: how a person’s mental health at 16 influences whether or not he or she becomes a parent, as well as whether or not parenthood has an effect on that mental health going forward. To explore the ‘selection effect’ first, Sara Kalucza and her colleagues from Umea University in Sweden studied data from the 1000 individuals included in the ‘Northern Swedish Cohort’ dataset.