Parental Stress a Public Health Challenge, Surgeon General Says

Parental stress has reached alarming levels and should be viewed as a significant public health challenge, according to an advisory by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

The advisory, issued Aug. 28, highlights the mounting stressors and challenges experienced by the 63 million U.S. parents living with children under age 18. In 2023, 33% of parents reported experiencing a higher level of stress in the past month, compared to 20% of other adults. Additionally, 48% of parents reported that most days their stress is completely overwhelming, compared to 26% of other adults.

Contributing Factors

The advisory lists numerous factors contributing to the stress of parenting, including:

• Financial strain, economic instability, and poverty
• Time demands
• Concerns about children’s health
• Concerns about children’s safety
• Parental isolation and loneliness
• Technology and social media
• Cultural pressures
• Concerns about children’s futures

The advisory also highlights the disproportionate impact of stressors on certain groups of parents, reflecting broader challenges related to social determinants of health. These groups include parents who live in low-income households, experience job instability or unemployment, or are racial and ethnic minorities. Parents in these groups can be at increased risk of developing certain mental health conditions.  

High levels of parental stress can also negatively affect children’s development, the advisory notes. Children who live with parents or caregivers with mental health or substance use disorders are more vulnerable to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are potentially traumatic events occurring among children ages 1-17 that are linked to poor mental, physical, and behavioral health outcomes and can affect the children’s overall health in later years. However, management of adult mental health challenges among parents can mitigate these negative impacts on children.  

The Surgeon General’s Recommendations

The advisory includes recommendations for policymakers, employers, communities, and others key stakeholder groups to support parental well-being. Some of these recommendations include:

• Policymakers:
  • Promote and expand funding for programs that support parents and caregivers and their families.
  • Ensure parents and caregivers have access to comprehensive and affordable high-quality mental health care.
• Employers:
  • Expand policies and programs that support the well-being of parents in the workplace.
  • Implement training for managers on stress management and work-life harmony.

The full list of recommendations begins on page 23 of the advisory.

Surgeon general’s advisories are “public statements that call the American people’s attention to a critical public health issue. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action,” according to a news release issued with the advisory.

Other Mental Health Impacts

The advisory also highlights maternal mental health challenges, noting that mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the US. ACHI has explored maternal behavioral health events during the birthing journey, finding that 28.8% of mothers who gave birth in Arkansas between Jan. 1, 2019, and June 30, 2022 had an outpatient visit during the 12 months after delivery with a primary or secondary mental health diagnosis. Two percent of postpartum mothers were seen in the emergency room for a primary mental health diagnosis, and 2% had an inpatient stay.

While parents are the focus of the advisory, mental health challenges impact a broad spectrum of adults and children in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness and more than 1 in 5 youths (ages 13-18) either currently or at some point in their lives have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.