Children Raised by Same-Sex Parents are Healthier: Study

Children living with same-sex parents are healthier than those living in traditional families, new study has found.

The study was conducted by researchers at  University of Melbourne. The team warns that stigma against homosexuality might lead to the children facing mental health problems in the future.

Data for the study came from 315 same sex parents with a total of 500 children enrolled in the Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families (ACHESS).

Researchers found that on measures of general health and family cohesion, same-sex parent families had six percent higher scores on an average than the general population.

According to Dr Simon Crouch, from the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity at the University of Melbourne, children living with homosexual parents in Australia have better health than other children.

"These children are growing up in a range of family contexts formed in a range of ways; from previous heterosexual relationships, to assisted reproductive technologies and same sex co-parenting arrangements," he said.

Researchers compared scores of mood, behavior, mental health, emotional role, and self-esteem in children in same-sex parent families with those of children living in traditional families. They found that children being raised by same-sex parents had almost equal scores on almost all the criteria. However, when it came to general health and family cohesion, children living with homosexual parents had better scores than those living in traditional families.

"It appears that same-sex parent families get along well and this has a positive impact on health," Dr Crouch said in a news release. "We know that same-sex attracted parents are more likely to share child care and work responsibilities more equitably than heterosexual parent families, based more on skills rather than gender roles. This appears to be contributing to a more harmonious household and having a positive impact on child health."

Although research supports same-sex parents' ability to take care of their children, they are more likely to receive harsher criticism than straight parents.  Researchers added that social stigma against homosexuality might negatively affect children living with same-sex parents.

The study is published in the journal BMC Public Health.