Benefits of family meals to mental health examined in a
large community sample of adolescents
Regular family suppers contribute to good mental health in
adolescents, according to a study co-authored by McGill professor Frank Elgar,
Institute for Health and Social Policy. Family meal times are a measurable
signature of social exchanges in the home that benefit adolescents’ well-being
– regardless of whether or not they feel they can easily talk to their parents.
“More frequent family dinners related to fewer emotional and
behavioural problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful
behaviours towards others and higher life satisfaction,” says Elgar, an
associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry,
whose research centers on social inequalities in health and family influences
on child mental health.