The head of public health services in the US has called for better support for parents after declaring that parental stress is hazardous to health and wellbeing.
Being a parent is stressful; that's no surprise. You've got the mental load to deal with on top of practical chores, with the overwhelming to-do list often leading to parenting burnout. It's something we talk about a lot, with experts sharing tips on how to manage stress and other parents candidly opening up about their own struggles to help ease the burden.
But what is surprising is that the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who is the head of the United States Public Health Service and the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the United States, has said that not only is parental stress a matter that needs to be addressed, it's actually 'hazardous' to parents' health.
In a new advisory, the expert, who is a father-of-two himself, spoke on the deteriorating wellbeing of parents, saying that their mental health is suffering which, in turn, is also affecting the wellbeing of the children they raise.
"Over the last decade, parents have been consistently more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults. 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults," the advisory said.
"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."
The advisory shared that this stress is made worse by the fact that parents are overworked and spend much of their free time caring for their children, not for themselves. “Demands from both work and child caregiving have come at the cost of quality time with one’s partner, sleep and parental leisure time,” it reads.
And there are the 'unique' worries and stressors that this generation of parents are experiencing, things the advisory believes are making parental stress even worse for health than ever before. These worries are listed as, "Common demands of parenting, financial strain and economic instability, time demands, concerns about children’s health and safety, parental isolation and loneliness, difficulty managing technology and social media, and cultural pressures."
The Surgeon General adds, "In addition to the common stressors listed above, mental health conditions disproportionately affect some parents and caregivers, including those facing circumstances like family or community violence, poverty, and racism and discrimination, among others."
It's a long list, isn't it? And, unfortunately, many parents likely sympathise will nearly all of the stressors listed on it.
So what does the expert recommend to solve the problems? In order to better support parents, policy changes need to be made, he says. And while he is specifically talking to the US government, his reccomendations are something that those in prominent positions around the world should take note of.
The advisory believes governments need to, "Ensure parents and caregivers can get paid time off to be with a sick child, secure affordable child care, access reliable mental health care, and benefit from places and initiatives that support social connection and community."
If you're struggling with the stresses of parenting, we've got you covered with expert insight on the best self-care ideas to boost your health and manage stress – and they’re all free. And, can noticing 'glimmers' help with stress of parenting? Yes, according to science. Plus, it might not just be your kids stressing you out as new research has revealed that men stress women out more than kids.
