United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, highlighting the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families to help our communities thrive.
This Surgeon General’s Advisory highlights the stressors that impact the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers, the critical link between parental mental health and children’s long-term well-being, and the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families.
A snapshot of parental stressors
There are approximately 63 million parents living with children under the age of 18 in the United States, and there are millions of additional caregivers who hold the primary responsibility for caring for children. This population experiences a range of unique stressors that come with raising children; including common demands of parenting, financial strain and economic instability, time demands, concerns about children’s health and safety, parental isolation and loneliness, difficulty managing technology and social media, and cultural pressures.
In addition to the common stressors listed above, mental health conditions disproportionately affect some parents and caregivers, including those facing circumstances like family or community violence, poverty, and racism and discrimination, among others.
Circumstances like family or community violence, poverty and racism and discrimination, among other circumstances, can increase the risk for mental health conditions.
Key Takeaways from the Advisory
Parents consistently report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults
According to 2023 data:
- 33% of parents report high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults.
- 48% of parents say that most days their stress is completely overwhelming compared to 26% among other adults.
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Parents and caregivers experience a multitude of unique stressors from raising children
These stressors include, but are not limited to:
- Time demands
- Children’s health
- Children’s safety
- Parental isolation and loneliness
- Technology and social media
- Cultural pressures and children’s futures
Mental health conditions disproportionately affect some parents and caregivers, reflecting broader social determinants of health
Circumstances like family or community violence, poverty and racism and discrimination, among other circumstances, can increase the risk for mental health conditions. Further, the mental health conditions experienced by parents and caregivers can manifest differently based on the gender of the parent and the family structure, among other factors.
The Advisory offers actionable recommendations on how to support parents and caregivers through policy changes, community programs, and individual actions.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Parental Health and Wellbeing, https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/parents/index.html | Public domain. Retrieved September 13, 2024
