Cultural clashes can make it harder for immigrants to parent. Better support can improve their child’s mental health

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Cultural Clashes Can Make It Harder for Immigrants to Parent. Better Support Can Improve Their Child’s Mental Health

More Than 10% of Children Worldwide Have a Diagnosable Mental Health Problem

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More than 10% of children and young people worldwide have a diagnosable mental health problem. If these problems are not detected and treated, children may suffer the same or other mental health problems in adulthood. Preventing mental health problems in children is a global priority.

Immigrant Parents Face Unique Challenges

At the same time, the number of immigrants in Western countries such as Australia is rising – and they face many culture-related challenges in a new country. These challenges can affect parenting and their children’s mental health. Parents have an important role in children’s mental health. They can help them develop positive self-esteem and manage stress, which can prevent anxiety and depression. So, immigrant parents may benefit from tailored parenting support as they adjust to a new country, so they can support their children’s mental health.

Parenting Programs Reaching Where They Are Needed

Governments worldwide are recognizing the importance of preventing mental health problems in children and are setting aside money for mental health promotion and treatment. In 2022, the Australian government invested A$40.6 million to make the evidence-based online parenting program Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) more widely available to support children’s mental health and wellbeing (aged up to 11 years). Australia’s headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation also made the individually tailored Partners in Parenting online program available in 2023 for parents of adolescents aged 12–18.

Acculturation and Parenting

Acculturation happens when people are exposed to a new culture and attempt to adjust and incorporate it into their daily lives. Parents and children go through the acculturation process of adjusting to a new culture. Parents do this through work or interactions with adults. Children do this differently. Immigrant children tend to pick up the language and values of Western countries more quickly than their parents. This may be because they are taught these things in daycare or school.

What Happens When Parent and Child Acculturation Rates Differ?

When children acculturate to the new culture faster than their parents, it often leads to family disagreements and conflicts. Some of the ways these parent-child acculturation conflicts can play out include:

• Parents showing love for their children by providing shelter, food, and a good education. But their children see their friends’ parents expressing physical and verbal affection and wish their own parents would do the same, or feel hurt or resentful that they don’t.
• Parents setting high expectations and strict boundaries to ensure their children do not bring shame upon the family, while their offspring find this excessive and unreasonable.
• Parents expecting their child to behave according to the "proper" standards for people of their cultural background, but young people feel their parents are being too traditional or conservative.

How Can We Better Support Parents?

Developers of parenting programs need to work with immigrant communities to adapt their existing programs. This could increase parents’ interest in seeking support and benefit immigrant children’s mental health. Tailoring existing evidence-based parenting strategies can help immigrant parents minimize acculturative conflicts with their children and better support their children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cultural clashes can make it harder for immigrants to parent. Better support can improve their child’s mental health. By recognizing the importance of preventing mental health problems in children and providing tailored parenting support, we can help immigrant parents navigate the challenges of acculturation and promote healthy mental development in their children.

FAQs

Q: What is acculturation?
A: Acculturation is the process of adjusting to a new culture and incorporating it into daily life.

Q: How can immigrant parents support their children’s mental health?
A: Immigrant parents can support their children’s mental health by providing a stable and loving environment, being aware of their children’s needs, and seeking help when needed.

Q: What are some common challenges faced by immigrant parents?
A: Some common challenges faced by immigrant parents include cultural clashes, language barriers, and differences in parenting styles.

Q: How can we better support immigrant parents?
A: We can better support immigrant parents by providing tailored parenting support, recognizing the importance of preventing mental health problems in children, and working with immigrant communities to adapt existing parenting programs.