The role of parent–child interactions in the association between mental health and prosocial behavior: Evidence from early childhood to late adolescence

Abstract

This study examined the association between internalizing and externalizing mental health and prosociality across four developmental transitions. The effects of parent–child interactions on mental health and prosociality were also explored. The data from a community sample of 10,703 children on mental health, prosociality, child maltreatment, parent–child relationships, parental mental health, and socioeconomic status were derived from the Millennium Cohort Study to cover the developmental periods from early childhood to late adolescence (ages 5, 7, 11, 14, 17). Adjusting for covariates, latent trait-state-occasion and cross-lag modeling were deployed. The results indicated that internalizing and externalizing mental health symptoms, and prosociality were more trait-like throughout adolescence. Only within-person increase in externalizing symptoms predicted decrease in subsequent within-person prosociality from middle childhood to late adolescence. Parent–child conflict and maltreatment had deleterious effects on children’s prosociality and mental health. Mental health professionals should screen for both possible mental health problems and deficits in prosociality. Interventions aiming to improve the quality of parent–child relationships could be beneficial for the development of child mental health and prosociality.