Family wellbeing is the cornerstone of a child's academic success, according to some Qatar Foundation (QF) academics.
"When parents neglect their own mental health, it creates a ripple effect that permeates every aspect of their child's life, including their education and ability to learn," said Dr Moustafa Ahmed, an educator and the wellbeing co-ordinator at Qatar Leadership Academy, a QF school.
In an article on QF website, Dr Ahmed recognises the vital interplay between familial dynamics and academic success and has witnessed firsthand the repercussions of parental mental health struggles on students. He says that from increased stress and anxiety to difficulties in concentration and academic performance, the consequences are far-reaching and undeniable.
“Parental stress or anxiety can manifest in a child's classroom behaviour. It can be linked to heightened emotional reactivity, difficulty in concentrating, social withdrawal, a tendency towards perfectionism and fear of failure, or even physical symptoms like headaches and stomach aches,” he explained.
“Additionally, decreased motivation, behavioural issues, physical restlessness, and academic regression may be observed. Recognising these manifestations is crucial for educators to provide nurturing support, fostering a positive learning environment for the child's overall well-being and academic success.”
Dr Ahmed remains steadfast in his belief in the power of advocacy and intervention. “Children learn resilience, problem-solving skills, and stress management by observing how their parents navigate challenges. Positive parental modelling fosters a growth mindset, builds self-efficacy, and significantly influences a child's overall attitude and engagement in the learning process,” he said.
Dr Khalid J al-Naama, director of Family Research and Policy at Doha International Family Institute, explores why children mirror the status of their parents' wellbeing.
“The home is the child’s first learning environment, and their parents or guardians are their first teachers. Young children often learn by imitating the adults in their life, and learned responses are elicited by stimuli,” he noted.
Dr al-Naama underscores the importance of early intervention to foster a healthy family environment as the best way to mitigate the impact parental mental health issues have on their child’s ability to learn.
“When children are over the age of 18, any processing of parental mental fitness is retrospective, and they are more likely to focus on changing the negative patterns they’ve adopted as a result,” he said.
“But with younger children, the responsibility is on the parents as caregivers to understand and mitigate how their mental status is affecting their kids. They need to prioritise getting themselves the help they need to learn how to regulate and prevent future transference to their kids.”
He explains how psychologists will focus on educating the parents as part of "psycho-education" sessions, where they will explain how the parent can deal with their mental health issues.
“It is important to note that no one is immune to mental health issues. The more we talk about it, the more we can dispel the stigma around mental health issues in society and normalise getting help,” added Dr al-Naama.
Family wellbeing has a lasting impact on students
