Psychologists have carried out a study of siblings, the results of which have revealed people who grow up with a sister are more likely to be optimistic, ambitious and overall more stable.
In the study 571 families made up of brothers, sisters, a combination of both and those who were only children were given a variety of questions to answer relating to their mental health. Children who grew up with a sister scored the highest, regardless of whether they were male or female.
Compared to those who grew up with only brothers, they were also found to have improved coping skills, be more motivated and have a bigger group of friends with a better social life.
The study was completed by psychologists at De Montfort University and the University of Ulster and the findings will be shown today at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference in Brighton.
This study was actually a second look at the effect of having a sister after similar results emerged when looking at girls only in previous research, said Liz Wright, research fellow at De Montfort.
“We wanted to see if the positive impact of sisters went further than just girls and found that it did. One of the most interesting findings was the impact of female siblings when parents split up,” she said.
“It seems their natural inclination was to express themselves, talk about the separation and encourage other family members to do so as well. It seems to help keep family relationships going. Their was markedly less distress in broken homes with a sister.”
It has been a firm belief of psychologists for a long time that “emotional expression” at difficult times is vital in aiding good mental health.
“Sisters appear to encourage that. However, brothers seemed to have the opposite effect, perhaps discouraging others to talk.”
In the tests standard questions were asked which looked at different factors including the level of social support people thought they had, how in control of their lives they were, how optimistic, ambition levels and coping skills.
The researched noted a ’significant’ effect emerging when growing up with a sister. Celebrity sisters who appear to have coped well with stress and upheaval include the Williams’ sisters along with Sienna and Savannah Miller.
People who had no siblings at all seemed to fall between children with a sister and those who only had brothers in terms of their mental health.
“It seems many only children had built up significant social support outside the home by the time they reached their late teens which helped them in a crisis and in other areas of life,” Ms Wright said.
The results of the study suggest a need for parents to consider the effects of a separation if they only have boys. The treatment of eating disorders will also be informed by the results.
In the next studies the ains will be to establish exactly why having a sister has such a positive impact on family life.
