Parenting Stress Is Now an Urgent Public Health Issue, US Surgeon General Warns

Parents in the United States are now struggling with economic and societal concerns as they raise children, with the stress weighing heavily on their mental health and stability.

That is according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who issued a public health advisory on Wednesday to call for urgent support for U.S. parents. In the report, Murthy noted that parents have been more likely (31%) to report high levels of stress over the past decade. In comparison, only 20% of adults without children said they experienced high levels of stress.

In addition, the report also noted that 41% of parents suffering from parenting stress can barely function most days, while 48% said they feel completely overwhelmed by stress on most days.

"Demands from both work and child caregiving have come at the cost of quality time with one's partner, sleep, and parental leisure time," Murthy wrote in the advisory.

Common Stressors Among Parents

One of the top reasons causing stress among parents was finances. The cost of childcare, for example, has grown by 26% in the last decade. The price of long-term child care has also grown over 40% in the same period, primarily due to the shortage of care workers.

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Additionally, 24% of parents said they lacked money to cover basic needs such as food or rent. More than 100 studies have previously linked food insecurity to parental depression and stress.

Apart from financial stressors, the report also noted that time demands are causing stress. Parents are now working an average of 33.5 hours per week. The long work hours, coupled with the need to balance family responsibilities, lead to work-family conflict, guilt, and eventually burnout.

Other stressors cited in the report include the COVID-19 pandemic, social media and technology, cultural pressures, and school safety amid a recent increase in firearm-related injuries among children and adolescents.

Proposed Solutions To Parenting Stress

In the advisory, Murthy called on governments to establish programs that ensure parents have access to affordable mental health care and other family services. Murthy also called on employers to consider providing paid family and medical leave to employees with children.

Moreover, the surgeon general is encouraging communities and schools to offer support services and groups aimed at helping parents manage stress.

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