Longitudinal relations between child emotional difficulties and parent-child closeness: a stability and malleability analysis using the STARTS model.

Overall, the results suggest that early and middle childhood are critical stages for improving parent-child relationships and reducing children's emotional difficulties. Developing close parent-child relationships in childhood appears to be a key factor in reducing children's subsequent emotional difficulties. Children who face greater than usual emotional difficulties tend to be more withdrawn and less receptive to close parent-child relationships and this could serve as an important screening indicator.