Are parents reaching their breaking point?

True to his tenure, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued another advisory late last month on mental health. Previously, he has issued advisories on the loneliness epidemic and youth mental health in regards to social media, but this time, he focused his advisory on an unexpected demographic: parents. 

The advisory, Parents Under Pressure, cites data from a 2023 study by the American Psychological Association (APA), to reveal alarming disparities between parents and non-parents when it comes to stress levels. The research found that 48% of parents report their daily stress as completely overwhelming, compared to only 26% of adults without children. 

“Parents have a profound impact on the health of our children and the health of society. Yet parents and caregivers today face tremendous pressures, from familiar stressors such as worrying about their kids’ health and safety and financial concerns, to new challenges like navigating technology and social media, a youth mental health crisis, an epidemic of loneliness that has hit young people the hardest. As a father of two kids, I feel these pressures too,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in the press release. “With this Advisory, I am calling for a fundamental shift in how we value and prioritize the mental health and well-being of parents. I am also outlining policies, programs, and individual actions we can all take to support parents and caregivers.”

The state of parents’ mental health

The advisory also highlighted:

• 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults in 2023.
• 41% of parents say that most days they are so stressed they cannot function, compared to 20% of other adults.
• Time spent on primary child care has increased by 40% among mothers and 156% among fathers, for a total average of 11.8 hours per day for mothers and a total average of 6.6 hours per day for fathers
• 66% of parents report feeling “consumed by worries regarding money” versus only 39% for those without children
• In 2022, 25% of parents in the U.S.  reported struggling to pay for food or housing 
• About 75% of parents are “extremely or somewhat worried that their child will struggle with anxiety or depression.”
• Approximately 65% of parents and guardians, and 77% of single parents in particular, experienced loneliness in 2021, compared to 55% of non-parents.

Dr. Murthy’s advisory calls for a multi-faceted approach to support parents and caregivers. He calls on the federal government to create a national paid family leave and guaranteed sick leave program and calls on employers to implement flexibilities for parents including paid parental leave. For the healthcare industry, he recommends establishing payment models that cover mental health screenings in a primary care setting.

He also asks parents to prioritize their own mental health and seek ways to reduce stress. One way they can do that is by using digital mental health tools that target the specific needs of parents. 

“Reducing parent stress not only helps the parent but can have a positive impact on their children and families. Digital mental health can support parents by providing specific resources and tools for managing the array of challenges associated with parenting,” Dr. Mimi Winsberg, Chief Medical Officer of Brightside Health, told DHI. “This can include techniques for navigating difficult situations as a parent, parent coaching for child-specific problems or diagnoses, and coping skills for when parents need to reduce their stress in real time. Digital mental health also offers increased access to care that can be tailored to the parent and provide the key support they need.”

Though mediation and overall-well being proliferate, these apps are tailored to addressing the needs of new families – like postpartum depression and child-rearing advice. 

Here’s a look at the digital health tools addressing parents’ mental health

Parent Lab: Parent Lab offers evidence-based parenting advice and emotional support through their app. The platform connects parents with experts in child development, mental health, and parenting strategies.

Lasting: Arguably not a parenting app, this marriage-counseling app advertises itself as a parenting app given the impact the quality of a marriage can have on an entire family. Lasting helps couples and parents navigate challenges in their relationship and mental health.

MomWell: MomWell provides digital mental health support for moms. The platform offers online therapy, coaching, and a community of moms to address postpartum depression, anxiety, and the general stress of parenting.

The Happy Child App: The Happy Child App offers science-based parenting advice focused on raising emotionally healthy children. It provides insights and strategies from psychology and neuroscience to help parents build positive, strong relationships with their kids.