Surgeon General issues advisory on mental health and well-being of parents

As students head back to school, we also want to focus on the well-being of their parents.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families.

The new report found over the last decade, parents have been consistently more likely to report high levels of stress compared to other adults. In fact, in the past month, 33 percent of parents reported experiencing high stress compared to 20 percent of other adults.

7 News wanted to take a deeper look into the issue by hearing directly from you.

I went out into the community to speak to parents and grandparents about the stress they deal with. I also spoke with a mental health expert on how parents can address their concerns.

“It is so hard. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s a lot. It’s a lot to be a good mom, and do all the things that come at me at home, my marriage, and my job. It’s really hard to juggle all the thing," said Janelle Eade .

“Everything is so expensive and I’m just trying to get through. Just normal stress, nothing too crazy," said Jade Harris .

“I think the hardest thing right now is the World Wide Web, the internet, and cellphones, that has changed everything," said Paul Richardson .

“As a parent, the only thing you can do is arm them to make the best decisions, and also not live your life by fear because that’s an example," said JJ Cabin .

“Parenting is stressful and there’s a lot of different things even in recent years post Covid that are leading to additional stress for parents," said Mike Asbach, Psychiatric PA, Dent Neurologic Institute .

Asbach also shared his key takeaways from the Surgeon General's report about the challenges that parents face.

Top Challenges and Stressors Parents Face

1. Navigating social media
2. The costs involved in raising a child
3. Loneliness

"Historically parenting was a team sport, you either had family or had a religious community or even people within your friend group that would chip in and help," said Asbach, "Our society, especially post-COVID, is becoming more individualized."
So what can you are struggling to keep up?

Asbach said one tip is to establish a social group to help with care and reduce loneliness and to also be mindful that finding time to walk, or exercise can go a long way.

Stress and parenting go hand in hand, but if you are finding that your stress is prolonged, or is negatively impacting your ability to function, it's time to reach out for help whether through a friend, a family member, your primary care doctor, or a mental health expert.