This article was originally published in the Herald Sun, and is republished with permission.
Young people living with their parents while they wait to get on the property ladder are suffering poor mental health, data reveals.
A study by the University of Melbourne exposed a “significant negative association” between living in the parental home and young adults’ mental health.
Poor mental health also intensifies with age, especially among females, people living in regional and rural areas and for those living in lower income contexts, the study said.
Almost half of 20 to 24 year olds still live with their parents, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), with higher representation among those with Asian, Middle Eastern, African or Southern and Eastern European ancestry.
Australian Psychological Society president Dr Kelly Gough said young people locked out of housing in their late 20s could develop “shameful” and “embarrassed” feelings about the co-residence circumstances and simply “don’t want to tell anyone about it”.
“If you get into your 30s and you realise that you still can’t really afford to live outside of the family home … you start to really worry,” he said.
The clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist said living at home can also impede on personal privacy. “You’re living with your family – maybe you don’t want to have your friends over in the same way that you would if you’re living in a sharehouse or by yourself – maybe it becomes awkward when you’re dating”.
Dr Gough said parents need to trust their children are capable of making decisions themselves.
“If the young person feels respected and treated like an adult because their own needs and their own values have been considered, then it’s probably going to be a lot better,” he said.
Australian Psychological Society chief executive Dr Zena Burgess said parents and children should have a conversation about how living at home looks.
“Being a good parent is different for a 10-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 30-year-old,” she said.
“It’s important to establish expectations for how the living arrangements will look now that the child is an adult,” she said.