Childhood's Reach Into our Adult Social Health

""Strong relationships are the bedrock of our well-being, and they are just as important for our health as going to the gym or eating healthy food." Connections with others can aid in coping with life challenges in the present, yet people may learn their style of adult friendships while in childhood. As Hood (2024) pointed out, social interactions during childhood form the foundation of adult behavior and affect individuals' happiness."

"Researchers John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth were pioneers in the field of child-parent bonds through observations in different situations. In the 1970s, Ainsworth and her colleagues identified three types of attachment from their research: secure attachment, insecure-avoidant attachment, and insecure-resistant attachment (Pomerantz, 2023). Babies with the "secure" attachment type used their mothers as a secure base in exploring a room, showed appropriate stranger anxiety, and were relatively adjusted."

Wellness guidance often emphasizes exercise, diet, and sleep, but social health plays an equally vital role in overall well-being. Strong relationships provide emotional support, help with coping during challenges, and contribute to long-term health outcomes. Early social interactions and child-parent bonding lay the groundwork for adult relationship patterns and happiness. John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth pioneered research into attachment, and Ainsworth identified secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant attachment styles. Securely attached children use caregivers as a base for exploration and show more adaptive responses, which link to stronger self-concept and resilience in later life.

Read at Psychology Today