Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued an advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents Aug. 28. In an opinion piece published in The New York Times, Dr. Murthy wrote that stress and pressures faced by parents “constitute a serious public health concern for our country.”
Parents are more likely to report consistently high levels of stress than other adults, Dr. Murthy said. An American Psychological Association study found that 48% of parents say most days their stress is completely overwhelming, compared with 26% of other adults.
The advisory calls on state and local governments, employers and other stakeholders to make changes to better support parents.
“Having safe, affordable before- and after-school care programs, predictable work schedules that allow parents to plan child care and workplace leadership that understands the complex demands on parents can help immensely,” Dr. Murthy wrote in the Times.
Read the full advisory here.
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