A large-scale study on Indian adolescents has revealed a powerful, often overlooked link: the mental health of children is strongly tied to their mothers’ life experiences — especially trauma and stress endured during their own childhood or early adulthood. The study, published in PLOS ONE, is one of the first in India to explore how maternal adversity affects children’s emotional well-being.

Researchers from Sangath, a leading mental health NGO, studied over 1,400 mother-child pairs in Goa. They found that when mothers had experienced multiple stressful events in life — such as emotional neglect, abuse, loss, or extreme poverty — their children were significantly more likely to struggle with anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues.

“Children of mothers who reported high levels of adversity had poorer mental health scores across the board,” the report noted.

The researchers used a tool called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire to assess the mothers’ past trauma. This includes experiences such as parental separation, domestic violence, or witnessing substance abuse. The children’s mental health was measured using standardized scales for emotional and behavioral disorders, including anxiety, social withdrawal, attention difficulties, and aggression.

A recent study highlights a strong intergenerational link between a mother's early life trauma and her child's mental well-being. Children whose mothers experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were found to be twice as likely to show signs of poor mental health. Notably, this association held true even after accounting for factors like poverty, education, and present family conditions, suggesting that the psychological scars of a mother's past can persist beyond socioeconomic boundaries. A critical piece of this puzzle is maternal depression—both past and ongoing—which emerged as a key driver of emotional difficulties in children, amplifying the need for targeted mental health support across generations.

 “We often focus only on the child’s current environment, but this study shows that a mother’s own unresolved pain can travel silently across generations,” wrote Dr. Shilpa Aggarwal, one of the lead authors.

India has one of the largest populations of adolescents in the world — over 250 million. According to UNICEF, 14% of Indian adolescents experience mental health conditions, with suicide being a leading cause of death among those aged 15–19.

Despite these alarming statistics, mental health care for young people remains extremely limited. There are fewer than 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people in India — far below the global average, according to WHO. The Goa study underscores the urgent need to expand mental health services, not only for children but also for mothers and caregivers.

The study also found that children from families with low income, domestic violence, or alcohol abuse were particularly vulnerable. However, what stood out was that maternal history — especially unaddressed trauma — was a consistent predictor, regardless of income level.

This suggests that even middle-class or educated families are not immune, and mental health interventions must dig deeper than surface-level social indicators.

Experts are increasingly calling for a shift in India’s mental health strategy — one that moves beyond individual care and considers the family as a whole. Routine mental health screenings for pregnant women and new mothers during pediatric visits can serve as the first line of early detection. At the same time, community-based counseling services can help women process unresolved trauma, which might otherwise affect how they nurture the next generation. Schools, too, have a role to play. By introducing emotional literacy programs that involve both children and parents, schools can create a safe space for early conversations about feelings and stress. Meanwhile, frontline health workers such as ASHA and Anganwadi staff can be equipped with the skills to spot signs of distress in households and refer families for timely help. Although India’s National Mental Health Programme has existed since 1982, it was not built to tackle the complex layers of intergenerational trauma. This growing body of evidence suggests a need to redesign public mental health efforts with a trauma-informed, family-centered lens.