What’s the science behind Belay?
Research on GoodFit
When individuals achieve accordance with the properties and expectations of their respective environments, they have attained goodness of fit, which ultimately enables their psychological growth and health. They can function on a healthy level with a potential for a positive life course. (Stella Chess, Alexander Thomas; Goodness of Fit: Clinical Applications from Infancy Through Adult Life; Psychology Press, 1999)
Decades of research has shown that temperament and environment interact to influence children’s behavior and outcomes. The goodness of fit model acknowledges that children whose temperament is consonant with their environment will experience optimal developmental outcomes. (Goodness of Fit Model; Will E. Hipson and Daniel G. Seguin; January 2017; Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences – Chapter: Goodness of Fit Model)
This research shows that parenting is a balance between stepping in and stepping out with guidance, support and structure based on cues from kids.” The study shows how parents can use their child’s personality and temperament to decide how much and what type of help to give. For some kids, particularly those who have trouble regulating their emotions, more help is good. But for kids who have pretty good self-control, too much parental control can lead to more anxiety and depression. Psychologists found that the right match between parenting styles and the child's personality led to half as many depression and anxiety symptoms in school-aged children. But mismatches led to twice as many depression and anxiety symptoms during the same three years. (Kiff CJ, Lengua LJ, Bush NR. Temperament variation in sensitivity to parenting; predicting changes in depression and anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 39: 1199-212. PMID 21800017 DOI: 10.1007/S10802-011-9539-X)
Parenting Style References
Parenting Style leads to an emotional climate in the household and research is conclusive this has important effects on how children develop. Darling, N., & Steinberg, L. (1993). Parenting style as context: An integrative model. Psychological Bulletin, 113(3), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.113.3.487
Studies have shown children are generally better off in some domains even if only one parent is authoritative, even if the other is permissive or authoritarian (Fletcher et al 1999) Fletcher, A. C., Steinberg, L., & Sellers, E. B. (1999). Adolescents’ well-being as a function of perceived interparental-consistency. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(3), 599-610.
Mental health of children depends on the way parents interact with them. The seed of good mental health is planted as early as childhood. Parents happen to be the most powerful catalysts in promoting good mental health in their children’s lives. (Shweta Singh – Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing – 2017 – Vol 8, Issue 12, p 1522-1527)
The parenting style adopted within the home is a critical role in achieving optimal results in a child’s behavior, psychological well-being, and educational success. (Fresh Essays, September 2022 – samples.freshessays.com/how-children-develop-their-character-from-their-parents-while-growing-up.html)
Research suggests punitive discipline, especially with challenging children, make behavioral difficulties more pronounced in the long term (Dewar, 2022 https://parentingscience.com)
Harsh discipline and psychological control were the biggest predictors of a child’s behavior worsening over time (Martin Pinquart ; Dev Psychol. 2017 May;53(5):873-932. doi: 10.1037/dev0000295.)
For instance, as a disciplinary tactic, spanking is less effective than positive parenting. Studies indicate that kids become more cooperative and self-controlled, compliant when parents use positive parenting techniques and evidence-based approaches to behavior problems. (Ref. Parenting science - Spanking children: Why does it happen, and what are the effects? Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., https://parentingscience.com/spanking-children/)
Children w/ authoritarian parents are more like to exhibit aggressive/defiant behavior, more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and have poor self-esteem (Dewar, 2017 https://parentingscience.com).
Kids from authoritarian families are more likely to increase aggressive or defiant behavior over time. They are also more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, or poor self-esteem. (Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., https://parentingscience.com)
Authoritarian approaches interfere with learning and these children typically earn lower grades (Dewar, 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., https://parentingscience.com).
Children raised with this parenting style tend to be impulsive, rebellious, aimless, domineering, aggressive and low in self-reliance, self-control and achievement. https://www.apa.org/act/resources/fact-sheets/parenting-styles#
Authoritative parenting leads to children who are more likely to be independent, self-reliant, socially accepted, helpful, kind, academically successful, well behaved, and less likely to report anxiety or depression (Dewar 2017).
Encouraging independence has been linked with self-reliance, strong problem solving, and improved emotional health (Turkel and Tezer 2008; Rothrauff et all 2009).
The results indicated that parenting styles relate to the way the adolescents develop attachments to their peers and to academic self-efficacy. The mother's permissive style is an important positive predictor of aggressive behavior and a negative predictor of attachment to their peers. (Front Psychol. 2017; 8: 2120. Published online 2017 Dec 15. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02120)
Limit setting and consistency are key components of "authoritative" parenting, which is widely seen as the most optimal type of parenting. (Baumrind, D. (1989). Rearing competent children. In W. Damon (Ed.), Child development today and tomorrow (pp. 349-378). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.)
Where did Belay source the mental health statistics?
CVS Health Research
American Academy of Pediatrics
Centers for Disease Control
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html
Health Resources & Services Administration
https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas
Forbes -
https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/how-much-does-therapy-cost/
National Alliance on Mental Illness
