Downer alert: the news is not good for children who grow up in stressful environments. Posted today to the BBC Heath section, based on new research a group of psychologists warn that adversity and stress early in life leads to long-term ill health and possibility early death. Stress is scientifically proved to impact immunity and cardiovascular health. In addition, living in stressful environments can create hyper vigilant responses in children to perceived threats, making normal daily interactions with other a point of stress. Children in the study who were in stressful environments had higher blood pressure, harder arteries, increased anger and hostile responses.
Studies like this make me sad and they also inspire me that we all have a part to play. By helping to reducing the level of stress adults feel, or at least helping to create awareness in adults around how they respond to stress, I hold on to the belief that those lessons have the chance of trickling down to the children of stressed out parents, and a new generation will have the tools to make different choices about how they respond.
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