Parents facing hazardous levels of stress, surgeon general warns

(Gray News) – Many parents would probably say raising children isn’t easy. Now, the U.S. surgeon general is agreeing with them.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory to parents regarding the effect that raising children may be having on their mental health.

Aside from the act of raising and caring for children, many parents are even more susceptible to the stressors of concerns that are economic and societal than those without kids.

In a statement, Murthy acknowledged the timeless challenges parents have faced throughout history, including protecting their children from harm, worrying about finances, and managing their children’s growth into independence as they mature.

However, he also said modern society has introduced a number of new struggles parents have to deal with today, like managing their children’s exposure to social media, helping their children deal with mental health issues, and a loneliness epidemic affecting the youth and parents alike.

All of these problems combined with the lack of resources many parents have has led to the need for new policy changes regarding parenthood, Murthy says.

“Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us,” he said in a statement. “And the health and well-being of those who are caring for our children should matter to us as well. I am hopeful this Surgeon General’s Advisory will help catalyze and support the changes we need to ensure all parents and caregivers can thrive.”

The advisory calls for many provisions to help parents deal with stress, including expanding parental, medical and sick leave and incorporating mental well-being checks into primary care.

According to the surgeon general, there are about 63 million people raising children under the age of 18 years old.

All of these parents may be experiencing a range of emotions related to caring for their children, including joy, connection and a sense of purpose.

However, in one way or another, they may also face significant stresses that can impact their overall mental health, according to Murthy. These negative mental health effects on parents can in turn affect the children they are raising, impacting the life outcomes of those children.

The Surgeon General’s Advisory says 41% of parents in the U.S. said they are often so stressed, they cannot function daily, while 48% said they are completely overwhelmed by their stress when compared to other adults without children.

Additionally, COVID-19 and post-COVID era regulations have also severely increased the levels of stress many parents struggle with.

Murthy said the decision to release this advisory was based on the perceived public health need.

“It was based on these conversations I was having with parents over the last few years around the country, where the stresses and strains on them were evident and hard to ignore,” he said.

The advisory suggests that parents should take into account their needs for their own personal health, including doing stress-relieving activities like exercising and getting adequate sleep.

Parents are also encouraged to form and cultivate relationships with other parents, caregivers and supportive friends and to obtain insurance that can be used to seek out mental health resources.

Last year, the surgeon general also issued an advisory regarding the impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents.

In June, he published an opinion piece calling for Congress to issue warning labels for children on social media.