Doting Mothers Cause Depressed Kids, Once Grown?

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Perceived favoritism on the part of a mother can cause long-term psychological effects on all her children well into adulthood, according to new research. Gerontologist Karl Pillemer from Cornell University looked at 275 mothers and their 671 adult children and found that in families with a perceived sense of favoritism, children were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms as adults. Interesting, this applied to both the favored children and non-favored children. The study found that it’s not the type of treatment each child receives that matters so much as being raised in an environment where a sense of unequal treatment is present.

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© Copyright 2010 by By John Smith. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org.

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  • Amy

    June 26th, 2010 at 10:51 AM

    Has this issue been addressed in regards to only children?

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  • Tammi

    June 26th, 2010 at 12:21 PM

    My mother was very clear on who was favorite in our house. She made no attempt to hide that my oldest sister, who was smart and beautiful, would always be the belle of the ball. The rest of us were average as far as she was concerned and not worth much of her time. It bothers me to this day.

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  • Darrel

    June 26th, 2010 at 2:22 PM

    In my experience the favorite feels pressure too. My father had great expectations of me following in his footsteps and becoming a pharmacist. I listened to that all my life, even before I started school. I was going to grow up to be just like Daddy and we’d work together in the family business. He wasn’t interested in my sisters doing it, just me. I didn’t want to and studied interior design instead. My father was very angry and at one point refused to pay for my education if I did. I said I’d work my way through college myself then. He relented and funded it, although he never let me forget how much I disappointed him. It’s tough being the favorite. I often wished it wasn’t me.

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