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In Peru, family comes first, and it is often the basis for almost all relationships. Although friends may be formed at school, they often fade after leaving school, especially in rural areas. Machosim is common among Spanish-speaking Peruvians in which men are considered superior to women. This likely leads girls to have less self worth and for men to feel more pressure to succeed. In native Peruvian families, there is slightly more gender equality. Divorce is not uncommon, and women have an equal ability to request divorce. Children of divorcees are brought up by the village. This reduces the emotional stress that children of divorce feel in the USA, and strong relationships are still kept with the family.

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Good friendships lead to higher self esteem and happiness. However, bad friendships can have a devastating effect. Unlike with a romantic partner, friendships develop slower, so when the breakup comes, it's harder to move past.

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According to Cambridge University Press, the most common psychiatric disorders are anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Many people living in Peru are also unhappy, especially women who experience culturally acceptable abuse. There has also been an increase in crime and terrorism in Peru, leading to less feelings of safety in the county. Therefore, there does not appear to be a correlation between a close family connection and better metal health. If anything, a close tie to traditional family values may increase mental health challenges in women because of their subordinate status.

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According to a researcher from the University of Nebraska...

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According to a researcher from the University of Nebraska...

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There are 6 key components to having a strong family relationship. Many of these apply to friendships as well as family.

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Showing appreciation and affection through words and actions strengthens the relationships of families. Family members can show this through humor, caring, and not being afraid to express affection.

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Commitment is shown by not letting other time consumers like work and school get in the way of family time. These families trust each other and can depend on all the family members to make time for family.

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Positive communication can come through a combination of task oriented discussions to open ended conversations. It also means complementing family members, not blaming others, and compromising.

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A survey of children revealed that big, expensive gifts or trips does not create the quality time that children want. They like shared memories, inexpensive good times, and simply spending large amounts of time together.

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Religion is not the only way to connect with family spiritually. It can be done through caring for each other, being committed to a cause, and sharing ethical values.

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A familiy’s ability to support each other through daily stress and life crisis is an important part of having a strong relationship.

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At the end of the report, it was also noted that saying love does not equal actual love. Rather, loving actions create loving bonds.

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Similar to Peru, family is the center of Nepali social life. This can be so true to the extent that "there is no sense of 'yours' or 'mine.'" (Teens in Nepal. Compass Point Books, 2009.) Furthermore, it is important to be happy because the family's happiness is dependent on everyone in the family being happy. This, in addition to very friendly greetings on the street, have led Nepalese to appear very friendly, and for them to be an overall happier people. However, there is great gender inequality. Most believe it is okay for women to be beaten under certain circumstances, women usually work longer and harder, and girls receive less services and opportunities. This leads girls to have less self worth and poorer health overall.

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Girls tend to have larger groups of friends and have stronger bonds to each other. Boys are less likely to share their emotions, even with their close friends. This is important to understand because it may lead to a different correlations between mental health and strong relationships.

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Anxiety and depression were more common in urban areas, however, no studies have looked specifically into rural, highland areas. One surprising finding from the study by BMC Psychiatry, was that there was no gender difference for prevalence of anxiety and depression. However, disadvantaged groups were at a higher risk of mental illness. Disadvantaged groups often do not have strong relationships therefore there is some correlation between a lack of strong relationships and increased mental illness.

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“Family on Summer Trip.” Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-family-summer-trip-holidays-common-travel-lovely-happy-active-vacation-relatives-spending-enjoyable-good-time-together-image73155679. Retrieved: 23 May 2018.

Friends on blanket:
Lopes, Helena. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-sitting-on-white-mat-on-grass-field-745045/. Retrieved: 23 May 2018.

Nepales family:
"Nepal's post-war culture of impunity." BBC. 1 March 2009. http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45522000/jpg/_45522611_family_466_300.jpg.

Peruvian family:
"A Chinchero Family in the Courtyard." 1992. http://www.incas.org/famil-members-in-the-courtyard.html. Retrieved: 23 May 2018.

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“Adolescent Bullying Basics.” HHS Office of Adolescent Health. 9 September 2016. https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/healthy-relationships/bullying/index.html.

DeFrain, J., Swanson, D., Friesen, F., Brand, G. “What Is a Strong Family?” NebGuide. September 2008. http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g1885.pdf.

Duenwald, Mary. “Some Friends, Indeed, Do More Harm Than Good.” New York Times. 10 September 2002. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/health/some-friends-indeed-do-more-harm-than-good.html.

Donovan, Sandy. Teens in Peru. Compass Point Books, 2009.

Farber, Niel. “10 Things to Know About Parent-Child Relationships.” Psychology Today. 26 April 2018.

“Friendship and Mental Health.” Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/f/friendship-and-mental-health. Accessed: 11 May 2018.

“Marital Quality and Parent-Adolescent Relationships: Effects on Adolescent and Young Adult Well-Being.” US Department of Health and Human Services. 30 January 2009. https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/marital-quality-and-parent-adolescent-relationships-effects-adolescent-and-young-adult-well-being.

Mental Health Foundation (May 2016) Relationships in the 21st century. London: Mental Health Foundation.  — not part of citation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/Relationships-in-21st-century-forgotten-foundation-mental-health-wellbeing-full-may-2016.pdf.

Price, et. al. “Young Love: Romantic Concerns and Associated Mental Health Issues among Adolescent Help-Seekers.” US National Library of Medicine. 6 May 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4931381/.

“Relationships with parents and families: why teenagers need them.” Raising Children Network. 5 March 2018. http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/family_relationships_teenagers.html.

Risal et. al. “Anxiety and Depression in Nepal: prevalence, comorbidity, and associations.” US National Library of Medicine. 14 April 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4831105/.

Rondo, Marta B., “Peru: mental health in a complex country.” Cambridge University Press. January 2009. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/BA71D6A81BC4B363B846F379F3F8CD44/S1749367600000230a.pdf/div-class-title-peru-mental-health-in-a-complex-country-div.pdf.

Shea, Kitty. Teens in the U.S.A. Compass Point Books, 2008.

Yackley-Franken, Nicki. Teens in Nepal. Compass Point Books, 2008.

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Strong relationships with parents leads kids to higher self-esteem, life-satisfaction, and more overall happiness. A decrease in physical and emotional distress has also been observed.

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According to Teens in the U.S.A. by Kitty Shea, the United States has the highest divorce rate in the world. Children are less likely to have strong relationships with both parents after divorce. Children of divorce are more likely to develop mental illness. Furthermore, poor marital relationships, even without divorce, are more likely to lead to emotional distress, physical distress, and substance abuse.

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It is important to talk and show how much the parent and child care for each other. This can be done at a variety of times including at meals, outings, family traditions, etc. It can also be done during one on one time and celebrating accomplishments.

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Although grandparents are elderly figures in a child's life, they are more often considered friends to the child than parents. Therefore, strong relationships with grandparents yield some benefit from strong parental relationships and strong peer relationships.

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Break ups are the most emotionally straining stage of the relationship. Many seek help after a break up, and about 22% of those who sought help were engaging in self-harm (Price, et. al.). This shows that the lack of a strong relationship often damages mental wellness, therefore, there is a correlation in this aspect.

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Bullying has lead to many negative mental health effects including increased anxiety and depression, increased suicidality, increased substance use, decreased academic achievement, and diminished earning potential. Bullying can upset strong relationships and isolate them, and the lack of strong relationships can cause the negative mental health effects.

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This topic interested me because I knew a lot of people with strong relationships with their parents anencephaly with ease relationships. I also recognized that there were differences in how mentally helathy they were. I noticed that the closer they were with their parents, the fewer mental health problems they had.

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Understanding what strong relationships are is important for this final because it gives a definition for the rest of the project.

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Parents are a huge influence in the lives of teens, therefore, it seems logical that a strong relationship with parents would be influential in the mental health of a child.