A new study has shown that overly involved and child-focused parents, also known as helicopter parents, are more likely to have children with body dysmorphia than others.
The findings, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that overinvolved parents lead to unhealthy behaviors in children, such as compulsive skin picking and excessive focus on their appearance.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is known as a mental illness in which the individual is obsessed with a perceived flaw in appearance. More than 200,000 cases of BDD are diagnosed in America each year.
Studies show that 38 percent of people with BDD also have an eating disorder or are at risk of developing an eating disorder.
MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED PEOPLE WERE INTERVIED
For the research, an online survey was conducted with more than 700 Italian men and women aged 18-77.
Different questionnaires were used to assess body dysmorphia, how overly controlling parents were, and exposure to different childhood traumas.
Using statistical analysis, researchers confirmed that parental overcontrol was linked to more severe dysmorphic symptoms.
IT CREATES A FEELING OF INADEQUACY
Researchers of the study conducted at the European University of Rome in Italy said, “Parental attitudes that make the child the sole focus of his or her life can create feelings of imperfection, fragility and inadequacy and change perceptions of the world.”
“These internal representations involving body image may explain dysmorphic anxiety through shame, anxiety, and expectation of social rejection.”
“Oppressive parents may cause their children to develop feelings of weakness and inadequacy, which may manifest in shame and/or anxiety about their bodies.” said.