This is exactly it. Outside of the influence of modernity, human beings live in large groups where everyone shares the burden.

Had first kid in Sept 2019, first 6 months alone (dad working overseas, family & friends overseas), then Covid lockdown, so no nursery as planned, no playgroups, no interaction with other kids even in the park (parents afraid of unknown contagion risk), no social visits. When finally started nursery at 11 months all staff and parents were in masks and half body covered in gear, so kids couldn’t even see faces moving all day, parents couldn’t meet staff or each other. Kid now 3, I’ve recently taken up therapy for effectively PTSD, which kid can’t do. Kid is still way behind in forming sentences, verbalising intentions, interacting with peers (spent half of today’s friend’s birthday party alone in various corners). Very unpleasant times (that I know, theoretically, are unusual), but that’s the only experience we’ve had. Never again.

I absolutely think this is the case.

I'm currently reading "Scattered Minds" by Gabor Mate, which links having depressed caretakers in early life to the development of ADHD. If his theory is accurate, then the nuclear family structure and lack of social support would also explain rising rates of ADHD.

We're social animals, but we've created a world where individualism is the goal. It's hardly surprising that so many people are struggling mentally.

That's a reasonable hypothesis

As others commented, yes. I was fine until my husband had to get back to work after the first month. It all went downhill from there. Close friends who lived a minute away bought a house and were gone. Both our parents are a 90min drive away. On top of that lockdown. I got hot hard with depression for roughly ten months. Some days I couldn't speak at all and would only cry when I tried. Our daughter is now 23 months old and can only say 5 words, but luckily she understands even fine details in requests. So the vocabulary is there, she's just not vocalising.

Pediatrician appointments is in a week.

My mother has always had speech problems and mood disorders because she comes from an abusive household. It didn't effect my speech or my siblings. This could be because of her very large family with two sisters and a brother who regularly got together. Including my father's huge family where we'd all have Sunday diners together at my grandmothers house.

The abuse carried into our household in my childhood. Eventually I chose men who were abusive. Had post partem depression with both my children. Was alone on my own to take care of them both.

I was severely isolated. My first had language delays up until the age of two, until he went into speech therapy. He developed very well thereafter, attending his speech therapy even a few years into grade school until he subsequently graduated from that program. He also has developmental delays with possible autism. He would be higher on the spectrum.

My second cannot speak at all and is aged 6. She has ASD. My second was my worst abusive relationship but he was only emotionally and verbally abusive to me until a few years into our relationship when it became much more.

I've been happily single for 3 years now as I focus on myself and my beautiful children. Intergenerational trauma is rampant in our society now, coupled with post-partum depression and isolation with a lack of mental supports, I can see this becoming a massive social problem. I feel so deeply saddened by how all of us were taught growing up that there was no one there to help us, and to suck ot up and get on with life.