Parental stress is an urgent public health issue, U.S. surgeon general says in new advisory

Parents are stressed out, which can deteriorate their mental health and well-being — which in turn can negatively affect children, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an advisory Wednesday.

Murthy — who in the past has issued advisories related to gun violence, social media use and a youth mental health crisis tied to an "epidemic of loneliness" across the country — called for changes to national attitudes toward parenting and caregiving in the advisory, titled "Parents Under Pressure."

"The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society. Additionally, we know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children," wrote Murthy in the advisory, highlighting his own experience raising children.

"The stresses parents and caregivers have today are being passed to children in direct and indirect ways, impacting families and communities across America," he continued. "Yet in modern society, parenting is often portrayed as a less important, less valued pursuit. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Surgeon general advisories 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 unique to parenting, and the bidirectional relationship between parental mental health and child outcomes." 

Murthy said a cultural shift is necessary to support 63 million parents with children younger than 18 who live in the U.S., as well as an estimated several million additional adults who serve as a child's primary caregiver. He noted the importance of extending that support to diverse families, like LGBTQ+ parents, foster parents and parents who are single. 

Wednesday's advisory also outlined tangible policy shifts to reduce the burden on parents and caregivers — especially those dealing with financial instability, which is singled out as one of the most significant root causes of parental wellness on the decline. 

In many ways building on programs proposed by President Biden and his administration to institute national paid family and medical leave, the surgeon general pointed to child care assistance, through tax credits and subsidies, paid family leave and paid sick time, and poverty reduction programs as the primary paths to take in efforts to improve the wellness of parents and their children.

"The Surgeon General's Advisory calls for a shift in culture, policies, and programs to ensure all parents and caregivers can thrive," said Murthy's office in a news release. "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."