The Consequences of Only Children on the Individual, Parents, and Society: A Review Study

Introduction: There is much debate in the literature about the pros and cons of being an only child. However, there is a paucity of comprehensive reviews examining the consequences of being an only child on all levels of society. The purpose of this study is to explore the disadvantages of being only children on the health of the child, parents, and society as a whole. Methods: The study is a narrative literature review of papers published in peer-reviewed journals between the year 2000 and October 2024 that address the drawbacks of being an only child. The papers were identified via a search of PsycInfo, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google electronic databases. In total, thirty-six studies that explored and/or discussed the issue were identified. Then, the unhealthy effects of being an only child were summarized into three domains: individual, parents, and society. Results: The study provides insight into the key health-related adverse effects of the only child phenomenon, specifically at the individual, family, and macro levels. The evidence from the reviewed literature suggests that being an only child leads to physical, psychological, and social harms on the health of the only child and parents, and hampers social development in the form of social harms such as an increase in divorce rates, sexual deviance, and a decline in social capital. Conclusion: This review revealed the drawbacks of having one child, and some of the significant challenges families confront were identified. Further review is required to summarize the possible benefits of having only one child.