When it comes to hippocampi (think brain parts), size DOES matter. According to Dr. Charles Raison, CNNhealth's mental health expert,

"...more than any place else in the brain, when it comes to the hippocampus, size matters. Other things being equal, having small hippocampi increases your risk for all sorts of troubles, from depression and post traumatic stress disorder to Alzheimer’s disease.

Just as having small hippocampi increases the risk for all sorts of mental disorders, all the things in our lives that put us under undue stress and strain also shrink the hippocampus. This is as true for cigarette smoking as it is for being exposed as a child to abuse or parental neglect.

In addition to protecting us against brain illnesses, we all need big hippocampi because this brain area, while not much bigger than your little finger, plays a disproportionately large role in how you will be able to handle the stresses and strains of your life, and how you will remember your life when it’s all said and done. This is so because the hippocampus is crucial for our ability to form and store personal memories. It is also of central importance for restraining the body’s stress and inflammatory responses, both of which can induce significant damage to bodily organs and the brain if not properly reined in."

Especially nurturing mothers can literally grow their children's hippocampi. TRANSLATION: Parents who are emotionally present for their children innoculate these children against life stressors... both mentally AND physically.

And soooo, if Mom (or Dad, if he is the primary caregiver) is struggling with depression or anxiety or any other mental condition, being physically present and going through the day to day motions of caring for the children isn't enough. LOVE and NURTURING are the most important environmental factors in predicting a child's future emotional well-being. Marriage and family therapists can help parents so they can be emotionally available for their children thus resulting in not only the parents living a more emotionally-satisfying life, but an 'immunization' for their children's present and future emotional health.

Intentionally,

Lisa

Click here for the full article in CNN Health.