Parents are stressed, which can deteriorate their mental health and well-being, which in turn can negatively affect children, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, said in an advisory released Wednesday.
Murthy — who has in the past issued opinions related to gun violencesocial media use and a mental health crisis among young people linked to a “loneliness epidemic” across the country — have called for changes in national attitudes to parenting and childcare in the advisory titled “Parents under pressure”.
“Parents’ work is essential not only for the health of children, but also for the health of society. Moreover, we know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children,” Murthy wrote in the opinion, noting his own experience raising children.
“The stress that parents and caregivers face today is transmitted directly and indirectly to children, impacting families and communities across America,” he continued. “Yet in modern society, parenting is often portrayed as a less important and less valued activity. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
GP opinions are public statements that draw attention to “an urgent public health issue”—in this case, “the importance of parental stress, mental health and well-being, stressors specific to parenting, and the bidirectional relationship between parental mental health and child outcomes.”
Murthy said a cultural shift is needed to support the 63 million parents of children under 18 in the United States, as well as the several million additional adults who are primary caregivers. He stressed the importance of extending that support to diverse families, such as LGBTQ+ parents, foster families and single parents.
Wednesday’s advisory also outlined concrete policy changes to reduce the burden on parents and caregivers, particularly those facing financial instability, considered one of the most significant root causes of declining parental well-being.
Building in many ways on the programs proposed by President Biden and his administration to establish nationwide paid family and medical leave, the surgeon general emphasized that child care assistance, through tax credits and subsidies, paid family and paid sick leave, and poverty reduction programs are key paths to improving the well-being of parents and their children.
“The Surgeon General Advisory calls for a shift in culture, policies, and programs to ensure that all parents and caregivers can thrive,” Murthy’s office said in a news release. “The American public can do more to support parents and caregivers by changing norms to foster a culture that values, supports, and empowers parents/caregivers and addresses stressors that can impact their mental health and well-being.”
