Parents’ wellbeing declared a ‘critical health priority'

In the US the surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy who is the most prominent health authority in the country has last Autumn published an advisory report in which parent’s mental health is declared a major health issue in the US. This is big and shows how important parental mental health has become. In his report Dr Murthy emphasises that parenting is not only essential for the health of the children but also for the health of society as the wellbeing of parents is directly linked to the wellbeing of their children.
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The report concludes that parents are overwhelmed with demands from work and child caring which has taken a toll on parents’ partner relationships as well as the quality of their sleep and self-care. It addresses the mental health of 63 million parents and children in the US.
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The report specifies that “parental mental health can influence the emotional climate, responsiveness and consistency of caregiving at home, all of which are crucial for a child’s emotional and cognitive development…Children of parents with mental health conditions may face heightened risks”, including symptoms of depression and anxiety and early onset, recurrence and prolonged functional impairment from mental health conditions.
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A 2023 survey of adults from the American Psychological Association found 33% of parents reported high levels of stress, compared to 20% of other adults. Nearly 50% of the surveyed parents reported overwhelming stress most days, compared with 26% of other adults. And according to research from health insurer Cigna, 65% of parents said they were lonely. Murthy emphasises in his report that loneliness has now become an ‘epidemic’.
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The key stressors for parents include financial issues, worries over children’s safety, anxiety over not spending enough time with the children and fears about children’s unhealthy relationship with social media and technology. About 70% of parents claim that parenting today is much more difficult than it was 20 years ago.
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The surgeon general’s report and other research make a clear link between the mental health of parents and their children. If parents struggle with mental health issues their children will be affected and these mental health problems can be transferred over many generations. The mental wellbeing of the whole society is affected. To break the circle of transmitting mental heath issues over generations required to improve the mental well being of parents. This is a key priority in our society. The surgeon general report strongly recommends that parents have access to comprehensive and affordable high-quality mental support.
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Pareful has been specifically designed to help parents to improve their mental health and wellbeing. It is affordable, offers high-quality and expert vetted content and self-help support conveniently available at your fingertips at any time.

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