U.S. Surgeon General calls on employers to better support parents’ mental health
Thirty-three percent of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory and urgent need to better support the nearly 63 million parents living with children under the age of 18 in the U.S. According to the advisory, 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults.
Now, there’s mounting pressure on employers to respond to what the U.S. Surgeon General has deemed to be a “critical health issue,” calling for increased support, better access to paid family leave, secure and affordable childcare, access to reliable mental health care, and more supportive communities for parents.
“With this advisory, I am calling for a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of parents. I am also outlining policies, programs, and the individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
Parents in the U.S. face a unique range of stressors, including common demands of raising children, such as financial strain and economic stability, time demands, concerns about children’s health and safety, parental isolation and loneliness, difficulty managing technology and social media, and cultural pressures, the advisory stated. All of which can lead to increased levels of stress.
Thought leaders and medical professionals are now calling on employers to heed this unprecedented advisory and effect positive change for parents in the U.S.
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“The only way we can actually support parents and caregivers in a meaningful way is through a multi-faceted approach suggested by the advisory – one that involves employers, health care systems, policy and communities,” said Dr. Neha Chaudhary, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and chief medical officer at Modern Health. “
“Not only can we shift our model of health care to one that’s more proactive instead of reactive, employers too have a unique opportunity to prioritize the mental health of parents and caregivers in a uniquely powerful way. By supporting parent and caregiver mental health, they’ll see a more productive, engaged workforce within their own walls and contribute to a healthier society in the process.”