Impact of Parental Involvement on Children’s Mental Health

This study estimates the causal effect of parental involvement on the mental health of primary school children in Bangladesh. Using an instrumental variables strategy that leverages local parental involvement norms, I find that increased parental involvement significantly reduces cognitive and emotional difficulties. Notably, I find that the protective effect of parental involvement varies by socio-economic context, showing weaker effects for children of mothers who married at an older age and those whose fathers live outside the household, but stronger effects in joint families. Furthermore, I identify two key mechanisms underlying these effects: accommodating parenting style and improved household hygiene practices. A supportive and responsive parenting approach can foster emotional security and self-regulation in children, reducing the risk of anxiety and depression. Improved hygiene practices, meanwhile, lower the burden of illness, which in turn alleviates physical stressors that can impair cognitive and emotional development. This study underscores the importance of parental engagement for child mental health in resource-constrained settings.