The U.S. surgeon general warned Wednesday that parenting can be harmful to mental health.
Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an advisory that while he feels blessed to be a father, being a parent has been the “toughest and most rewarding” job he has ever had.
“The stresses parents and caregivers have today are being passed to children in direct and indirect ways, impacting families and communities across America,” he said.
Murthy said in the advisory that 41 percent of parents admit to being so stressed most days they can’t function, and 48 percent say their stress is completely overwhelming.
He added that parents today are facing different challenges compared to previous generations in the form of things like social media, an increasing youth mental health crisis and the “epidemic of loneliness” impacting younger Americans and their parents.
Parents should be supported through policy changes and community programs that would make child care care more affordable, the surgeon general said, and make it easier to take time off from work to take care of sick children.
Earlier this year, Murthy also pushed to require social media platforms to have labels warning users of their possible mental health impacts on children and young adults.
“In my conversations with parents and caregivers across America, I have found guilt and shame have become pervasive, often leading them to hide their struggles, which perpetuates a vicious cycle where stress leads to guilt which leads to more stress,” he said.
Murthy added that cultural norms around parenting needed to change to better help moms and dads cope with the challenges of raising children.
“Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us,” Murthy said. “And the health and well-being of those who are caring for our children should matter to us as well.”
