The U.S. Surgeon General is urging folks to rally around the parents and young families in their lives.
In a new advisory and corresponding op-ed in the New York Times, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy warns that parents today are navigating “overwhelming” levels of stress, leading them into a national health crisis.
“Addressing parental mental health conditions, and importantly the underlying stressors and causes is critical for the well-being of children and society,” he wrote in the advisory.
In his NYT op-ed, Murthy speaks from experience as a father of two and adds, “The joys are indeed abundant, but as fulfilling as parenting has been, the truth is it has also been more stressful than any job I’ve had,” he wrote. “I’ve had many moments of feeling lost and exhausted.”
He continued, “The stress and mental health challenges faced by parents — just like loneliness, workplace well-being, and the impact of social media on youth mental health — aren’t always visible, but they can take a steep toll. It’s time to recognize they constitute a serious public health concern for our country. Parents who feel pushed to the brink deserve more than platitudes. They need tangible support.”
Murthy refers to multiple studies that paint a picture of the emotional and mental well-being of parents today. One such study by the American Psychological Association found that 48% of parents find “most days their stress is completely overwhelming.”
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Murthy calls for policies to reflect the needs of families, including enacting “a national paid family and medical leave program and ensure all workers have paid sick time.”
In the meantime, he also emphasizes how integral a community can be in supporting a family.
“Too often, when someone is struggling, we wait for an invitation to help, or perhaps we worry we don’t have anything of value to offer. Simply showing up can make all the difference in the world to another person,” he wrote in his op-ed.
He continued by recalling a time when a friend showed up while his son was just four months old and sat and played with their child for 15 minutes. This allowed a sleep-deprived Murthy and his wife a much-needed break.
“Even that was long enough for us to catch our breath. My friend probably thought nothing of it, but that feeling of relief and gratitude is still fresh for me,” he said.
In other words, it still takes a village.
