Kids who grow up in the city without pets are more at risk of developing mental illness. A new University of Colorado study also found children raised in the country with lots of animals and a dusty environment are more resilient to stress.
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, the study builds on other research supporting the 'hygiene hypothesis' – that sterile environments can cause more health issues than natural, bacteria-laden environments.
"It has already been very well documented that exposure to pets and rural environments during development is beneficial in terms of reducing risk of asthma and allergies later in life," said co-author Christopher Lowry.
He adds, "This study moves the conversation forward by showing for the first time in humans that these same exposures are likely to be important for mental health."
How was the discovery made?
The research team tested 40 men (aged 20-24) in Germany, half of whom grew up on a farm with animals, with the other half raised in the city without pets.
They were given two tests – a tough, timed maths problem, and a presentation in front of an unresponsive audience. Their saliva and blood were tested at intervals leading up to and after the test.
Interestingly, after the stressful situations, men who had grown up in urban environments had more immune system components (called peripheral blood mononuclear cells or PBMCs). They also had higher amounts of an anti-inflammatory compound. Researchers know that people with an "exaggerated" inflammatory response have a higher risk of developing depression and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Stress and microbials
Another fascinating insight from the study was that cities have fewer microorganisms than rural areas. Why does that matter?
"If you are not exposed to these types of organisms, then your immune system doesn't develop a balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory forces, and you can develop a chronic, low-grade inflammation and exaggerated immune reactivity that makes you vulnerable to allergy, autoimmune disease and, we propose, psychiatric disorders," Lowry said.
The test size was small and future studies are required, but the team says spending as much time as possible in the country can help build more robust immunity.
Kids in rural areas are less exposed to stressful conditions
A more recent study published in Contemporary School Psychology found that children in rural areas are less likely to experience stress than children in urban areas due to the qualities of their physical environment.
Dr Sarah J . Blakely-McClure and her team looked at nearly 370,000 secondary school students in the city. They found that students living in the country and those living in cities are equally vulnerable to the effects of stress. However, they discovered that children from small towns were less likely to report high levels of stress than their peers who attended school in larger communities.
One explanation for this could be that rural children are exposed to less interpersonal conflict and have better environmental conditions. This means there are fewer people around them showing signs of distress or problems with their personal lives. Another possible reason is that farm kids have a greater connection with nature, which gives them a sense of peace that can help reduce their levels of daily stress, the study suggested.
Helping children develop resilience to stress
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficult situations. Previous studies on the effects of environmental stress on young minds found that parents could play a key role in their children's greater resilience to stress and mental health conditions no matter what environmental factors are at play.
Source: Get A Tutor
Parents can help kids develop resilience by encouraging them to find peace and quiet when they're feeling stressed, taking time every day for themselves, making healthy choices about what they eat and drink, getting enough sleep and participating in physical activities.
Whatever their environmental conditions, resilient children show the following characteristics:
- They don't let everyday stressors impact their emotional health
- They find time for friends and family
- They are diligent with school assignments
- They do their chores and still find time to play
- They don't let stressful life events reduce their quality of life
Children with good levels of resilience to stress are able to relax after a stressful encounter without becoming overwhelmed with sadness or anger that might stall their recovery.
Originally published on Aug 13, 2018
