Healthy Children Become Happy Adults, Giving Them Strength
Having a positive attitude is often touted as a disposition or a prosocial personality trait.
But situational factors are important as well.
Both hope and happiness stem from a healthy emotional and physical history.
Research explains:
Victor Counted et al. (2025) conducted a cross-national analysis of childhood predictors of hope in 22 countries appropriately titled, “Seeds of Hope.”
They found that positive childhood experiences, including states of mind and being such as supportive parental relationships, very good health, as well as consistent religious attendance, were strongly linked with higher levels of hope during adulthood.
On the other end of the spectrum, negative experiences including abuse and feeling like an outsider during one’s childhood produced less hope.
General conclusions aside, Counted et al. (ibid.) note fluctuations in the relationship between childhood experiences and adult hope within different countries.
There was a direct relationship in many countries between childhood health and future hope, with abuse liked to lower levels of hope.
Childhood religious service attendance also impacted an adult’s levels of hopefulness differently in different countries.
In Sweden, weekly attendance resulted in a significant increase in hope, with less of an impact demonstrated in Indonesia, and virtually no association found in Argentina.
Counted et al. (supra) found similar fluctuations regarding the impact of parental relationships. And regarding health, generally, Counted et al. (supra) note that self-rated health during childhood was a robust predictor of hopeful adults, consistent with the link between physical well-being and cognitive and emotional resilience.
They did find, however, that the strength of this link varied across countries, indicating the possibility that broader socio-economic issues could reduce the benefits of good health.
Counted et al. (supra) concluded that their cross-national study emphasizes the potential role of early life experiences in influencing future hope, providing valuable information to inform future research and interventions aimed at creating hope from a young age in various cultural contexts.
Hope Springs Eternal
Most people appreciate the protective value of hope in terms of life satisfaction, future outlook, and general optimism.
Counted et al. (supra) remind us there is more.
They explain that hope is not merely a tendency to maintain a positive view of the future, but a “complex psychological construct that energizes individuals to navigate through adversity.”
They note that research shows that adverse childhood experiences such as poor health, abuse, or low financial status during early life can undermine hope through acquired patterns of despair, learned helplessness, or hopelessness early in life.
They add that feeling like a family or community outsider, whether due to ethnicity, race, or some other factor, can aggravate feelings of alienation and disconnection.
These feelings can decrease hope unless they are countered by strong community bonds or supportive relationships.
Fortunately, Counted et al. (supra) observe that factors that discourage hope and other positive feelings such as a sense of dignity in childhood can be overcome in adulthood through community involvement and engagement in meaningful work.
Their findings reveal the link between childhood predictors and hope is dependent on context, varying over different cultural and social environments.
They note that these findings highlight the universal as well as context-specific nature of the development of hope, demonstrating the need to consider both culture and context in strategizing how to sustain and maintain hope across the lifespan.
One common denominator cross-culturally: Developing and utilizing strategies to raise happy, healthy children is a constructive investment in a future generation of healthy, happy adults.
The preceding article was originally published in Psychology Today, and is used with the permission of its author.
Wendy L. Patrick, JD, MDiv, Ph.D., is an award-winning career trial attorney and media commentator. She is host of “Live with Dr. Wendy” on KCBQ, and a daily guest on other media outlets, delivering a lively mix of flash, substance, and style. Read Dr. Wendy L. Patrick’s Reports — More Here.
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