Childhood happiness may affect adult work life

The environment and mental health of children may have a bearing on their professional lives. Children who experience internalising behaviour such as excessive sadness, anxiety, withdrawal and other similar traits during childhood are more likely to end up with stressful professional life on becoming adults. Unhappy children, thus, may have higher chances of getting jobs with high demands, less autonomy and little job security. To understand the impact of mental health on the professional lives of people, British researchers analysed the childhood and adult phases of 8,243 men and women and took factors like internalising symptoms, environmental noise and psychological distress into consideration. It was speculated that depression and anxiety in childhood might affect the types of jobs that people may be eligible for. This was attributed to the fact that mental health in childhood influences education, which might have a direct bearing on the lifelong work options of a person. An unhappy child may have low self-esteem, confidence and drive to excel, which may make him opt for jobs with less capacity to develop their potential. It was also noted that at the age of 45, adults in jobs with high pressure and less decision-making freedom had a nearly two-fold increase in the risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Similar risks were observed among men and women who had little support from co-workers and supervisors. The findings of this study can prove fruitful in managing young people's mental health problems.