A recently released document called Under Pressure: The US Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents (2024) outlines the challenges facing parents in a post-pandemic world that contains new stressors that “previous generations didn’t have to consider.” As Surgeon General Murthy says, “Being a dad is the toughest and most rewarding job I’ve ever had…The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children, but also for the health of society.” A Surgeon General’s Advisory is a call to pay attention to an “urgent public health issue” as well as recommendations and calls to action for how to address it. In their efforts to bring “the importance of parental stress, mental health and wellbeing, stressors unique to parenting, and the bidirectional relationship between parental mental health and child outcomes” to the front, the authors reviewed evidence and made recommendations for actions that parents as well as agencies, organizations, and researchers can take to support parental wellbeing.
As with many other features of life, parenting stress can be increased for those caregivers who have fewer resources and who experience “economic, social, political and cultural marginalization.” And although many parents reported high levels of stress before the Covid-19 pandemic, it contributed to and increased those stress levels and added new ones. A partial list of the things that were found to be affecting parents across children’s ages and developmental stages include financial strain, economic instability and poverty, time demands and work-life balance, concerns about children’s health and safety, parental isolation and loneliness, technology and social media, cultural pressures and worries about their children’s future.
Since we know how parental and child mental health are so inextricably linked, Dr Murthy says we need to honor parenting for the valuable work that it is and find ways to help parents ease the stress associated with parenting. Dr. Murthy states, “The wellbeing of parents and caregivers is a critical and underappreciated public health priority.” And we can take action!
The Advisory lists a number of actions that can be done to “care for the caregivers” and cultivate a culture for parents to thrive. The Comprehensive list includes supportive actions that national, state and tribal governments, employers, health and social service systems, communities, community organizations and schools, researchers, families and friends and parents themselves can take. This is a comprehensive list of ambitious actions that, if all enacted upon, would make a huge difference in the quality of life for families in our communities. Here are just a few on the list that fall closest to the work of First 5 Humboldt:
· Foster open dialogue about parental stress, mental health and wellbeing in culturally appropriate ways.
· Equip parents and caregivers with resources to address parental stressors and connect to crucial support services.
· Create opportunities to cultivate supportive social connections among parents and caregivers.
· Elevate the voices of parents and caregivers to shape community programs and investments.
· Prioritize preventive care.
· Foster partnerships with community organizations that provide support and resources for parents and caregivers.
In Dr. Vivek Murthy’s own words, “Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us. And the health and wellbeing of those who are caring for our children should matter to us as well.”