Last week, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents, highlighting the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers and families to help our communities thrive.

Parents Are More Stressed Than Other Adults

In a report from the American Psychological Association, parents were more likely than other adults to report certain stressors. The following are a few findings from the survey.

Report feeling consumed by worries regarding money

• Parents: 66%
• Other adults: 39%

Most days their stress is completely overwhelming

• Parents: 48%
• Other adults: 26%

They are so stressed they feel numb

• Parents: 42%
• Other adults: 22%

Most days they are so stressed they can’t function

• Parents: 41%
• Other adults: 20%

Identifying the Key Stressors

The advisory outlines examples of parental stressors that can impact mental health and well-being, including:

• Financial strain, economic instability and poverty
• Time demands (both with work commitments and family responsibilities)
• Children’s health (mental health challenges, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other illnesses)
• Children’s safety (concerns about their child being bullied, abducted or attacked)
• Parental isolation and loneliness
• Technology and social media (managing the rapid adoption and evolution of technology and social media)
• Cultural pressures and children’s future (pressures to meet perceived parenting standards).

What Employers Can Do

Dr. Murthy included suggestions on what employers can do to support parents (described on page 24 of the advisory). The first recommendation is to expand policies and programs that support the well-being of parents and caregivers in the workplace. This can include offering paid parental, medical and sick leave; flexible and fair work schedules; and access to child care (in the community or on-site).

Another suggestion is to train managers on stress management and work-life harmony. “Employers should include training, support, and resources for managers on how to recognize signs of stress and mental health challenges among parents and caregivers and how to support work-life harmony. Managers and leaders can also exemplify a family-friendly culture by actively including parents in leadership roles, which can put them in a position to support the overall well-being of other parents in the workplace and illustrate that career advancement and parenting roles can coexist.”

The final piece of this section describes the importance of providing access to mental health care. According to the advisory, employers should offer health insurance plans that include access to comprehensive and affordable mental health services and a robust network of high-quality mental health care providers. Offering confidential counseling services through employee wellness programs and/or employee assistance programs (EAPs) can expand access to mental health services and social support.

According to the International Foundation’s recently released Employee Benefits Survey: 2024 Survey Report, U.S. employers are offering related benefits in the following ways.

• 88% offer EAPs
• 81% offer mental health benefits
• 69% offer dependent-care flexible spending accounts
• 53% of organizations offer paid parental/family leave
• 42% offer paid sick leave
• 35% offer parental/family leave beyond FMLA requirements
• 30% offer resource and referral services for child care
• 23% offer time off to attend a child’s activities
• 10% offer emergency/sick child care
• 8% offer child-care subsidies
• 6% offer on-site or near-site child care
• 3% offer parent coaching services
• 2% offer special-needs child care

Find a summary of key takeaways, action steps and resources on parental mental health and well-being on the hhs.gov site.