How Childhood Memories Shape Happiness in Adult Life

Happiness often appears to be a matter of chance: the right job, a loving partner or robust health. Yet a major psychological study suggests that part of our wellbeing is shaped much earlier - by the experiences we store deeply as children. Two types of memories stand out in particular.

Childhood memories and adult wellbeing

How childhood memories shape our adult lives

The research, published in the journal Health Psychology, analysed data from more than 22,000 people. The researchers sought to establish which early memories are linked to mental and physical health decades later.

At its heart was the question of how people view their childhood in retrospect. Did it feel more like security or distance? Support, or the sense that they had to cope alone?

Strong, positive memories of affection in childhood are associated, on average, with fewer depressive symptoms and better health in adulthood.

The researchers stress that this is not about having a perfect life story. No one grows up without conflict, tears or arguments. What appears to matter is the emotional backdrop of the early years - particularly in two areas.

Memory number 1: genuine parental affection

The first key factor is recollections of tangible affection, especially from mothers, who were generally the main caregivers in the generation studied. Those who experienced as children, “There is someone who truly likes me, comforts me and hugs me,” are statistically more likely to have more stable mental wellbeing.

Mental health in later life

The study found that people with these memories later in life:

• report depressive symptoms less often,