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.
Over the last decade, parents have been consistently more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults. 33% of parents reporting high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults. When stress is severe or prolonged, it can have a harmful effect on the mental health of parents and caregivers, which in turn also affects the well- being of the children they raise. Children of parents with mental health conditions may face heightened risks for symptoms of depression and anxiety and for earlier onset, recurrence, and prolonged functional impairment from mental health conditions.
This Surgeon General’s Advisory calls for a shift in culture, policies, and programs to ensure all parents and caregivers can thrive.
The Surgeon General’s Advisory also provides recommendations for several stakeholders that can help reduce stress for and better support the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers through policy changes, community programs, and individual actions. These stakeholders include national, territorial, state, local and tribal governments; employers; communities, community organizations, and schools; health and social service systems and professionals; researchers; family and friends; and parents and caregivers.
