On August 24, 2024, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an 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.
• 33% of parents report high levels 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
• Nearly 70% of parents say parenting is now more difficult than it was 20 years ago, with children’s use of technology and social media as the top two cited reasons
The stressors vary: financial strain and economic instability, time demands, concerns over children’s health and safety, parental isolation and loneliness, difficulty managing technology and social media and cultural pressures.
When parents are stressed, their children feel it. Data shows the impact on high school youth. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
• 40% of high schoolers experienced persistent feeling of sadness or hopelessness (up from 30% in 2013)
• 20% of high schoolers seriously considered attempting suicide (up from 17% in 2013)
• 1 in 5 youths, (ages 13-18) either currently or at some points have experienced debilitating mental illness.
Read the U.S. Surgeon General’s full Advisory here:
