U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents

United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s 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.

Over the last decade, parents have been consistently more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults. 33% of parents reporting high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults. 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.

“Parents have a profound impact on the health of our children and the health of society. Yet parents and caregivers today face tremendous pressures, from familiar stressors such as worrying about their kids’ health and safety and financial concerns, to new challenges like navigating technology and social media, a youth mental health crisis, an epidemic of loneliness that has hit young people the hardest. As a father of two kids, I feel these pressures too,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “With this Advisory, I am calling for a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents. I am also outlining policies, programs, and individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers.”

There are approximately 63 million parents living with children under the age of 18 in the United States, and there are millions of additional caregivers who hold the primary responsibility for caring for children. This population experiences a range of unique stressors that come with raising children; including 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. 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.

The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health and future of society. Better supporting parents will require policy changes and expanded community programs that will help 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.

This Surgeon General’s Advisory calls for a shift in culture, policies, and programs to ensure all parents and caregivers can thrive. The American public can do more to support parents and caregivers by shifting norms to foster a culture that values, supports, and empowers parents/caregivers and addresses stressors that can impact their mental health and well-being. This Advisory builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s critical steps to ensure families have the support they need, pushing for increased access to paid family leave, improving early childhood education and childcare, and delivering historic investments in mental health care.

The Surgeon General’s Advisory also provides recommendations for several stakeholders that can help reduce stress for and better support the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers through policy changes, community programs, and individual actions. These stakeholders include national, territorial, state, local and tribal governments; employers; communities, community organizations, and schools; health and social service systems and professionals; researchers; family and friends; and parents and caregivers.

Surgeon General’s Advisories are public statements that call the American people’s attention to a critical public health issue. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action. As the Nation’s Doctor, the 21st Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Murthy, has issued Surgeon General’s Advisories on Firearm Violence – PDF, Loneliness and Isolation – PDF, Social Media and Youth Mental Health – PDF, Youth Mental Health, Health Worker Well-Being, and a Framework on Workplace Well-Being.

Read the full Advisory. View more information about the Office of the Surgeon General.