At the end of August, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory highlighting the critical need to support parents’ and caregivers’ mental health and well-being. The advisory notes that parents experience higher stress levels than other adults, with 33% of parents reporting high stress in the past month compared to 20% of non-parents. This prolonged stress can have a profoundly negative impact on parents’ mental health. It’s important to remember that this stress can also affect their children, potentially leading to the early onset of mental health issues.

“Parents have a profound impact on the health of our children and the health of society. Yet parents and caregivers today face tremendous pressures, from familiar stressors such as worrying about their kids’ health and safety and financial concerns to new challenges like navigating technology and social media, a youth mental health crisis, an epidemic of loneliness that has hit young people the hardest. As a father of two kids, I feel these pressures too,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “With this Advisory, I am calling for a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents. I am also outlining policies, programs, and individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers.”

The advisory calls for cultural and policy changes to provide better support for parents, including paid leave, affordable childcare, reliable mental health care, and community support. Dr. Murthy emphasizes that supporting parents is not just an individual responsibility but a collective one essential for children’s and society’s well-being. Recommendations are provided for governments, employers, communities, health professionals, and individuals to reduce stress and improve support systems for parents and caregivers. 

Click here to read Parents Under Pressure: The Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents.