Family arguments have a lasting impact, finds a study at Simmons College in Boston, which has tracked people for 32 years.
And when physical violence is in the mix, there are added long-term mental health risks, the study found.
The research, involving 346 participants from Quincy, Mass., is published this month in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Researchers found that teens who reported increased family arguments at age 15 had an increased risk of major depression, alcohol or drug abuse or dependence, and antisocial behaviors at age 30, compared with peers who didn't report more family arguments. And those with more family strife had twice the risk for being unemployed as adults.
Those who reported exposure to family violence by age 18 were significantly more likely than peers to have a mental disorder, drug or alcohol abuse or dependence, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction at 30. The study also found more compromised physical health among those exposed to violence.
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