Children today are increasingly facing anxiety and depression, feeling isolated and stressed due to social media, along with challenges from socioeconomic issues, family breakups, and even exposure to violence.

However, this situation does not only affect the children; parents are also experiencing significant and growing stress levels.

“The youth mental health crisis we’re currently witnessing, with a large number of children facing anxiety, depression, and self-harming tendencies, understandably adds to parental stress,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy mentioned in a recent interview on New York University Langone Health’s “Doctor Radio Reports” on Sirius XM. “These issues are notably different from what previous generations faced.”

Dr. Murthy has issued a new advisory on parental mental health, drawing from recent studies by the American Psychological Association. The findings reveal that among the 63 million parents with children under 18, a staggering 48% report experiencing intense daily stress.

The advisory elaborates on the numerous challenges faced in parenting, such as lack of sleep, hectic schedules, managing children’s behaviors, financial pressures, and concerns for their children’s well-being.

The high stress levels among parents represent a public health emergency

As the surgeon general, Dr. Murthy has previously addressed issues related to loneliness, the mental health of teenagers, and excessive social media usage. The current advisory builds on these concerns and emphasizes a critical issue that is often overlooked.

The stress experienced by parents is a public health crisis that is closely linked to the escalating challenges faced by children.

Murthy noted that parents’ stress levels have risen, partially due to the critical and perfectionist atmosphere that social media cultivates.

Parental mental health challenges impact their children

Most importantly, he emphasized that anxious parents tend to transfer their worries to their children.

“The reality is that parental well-being is crucial because these parents are key players in nurturing the next generation,” Murthy explained. “When parents grapple with mental health issues, it negatively influences their children’s mental health.”

As a solution, his recommendations include encouraging kindness, reducing judgment, and enhancing community support for parents.

There’s also a need for increased focus on supporting low-income families, those facing job instability, racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, immigrants, divorced families, the disabled, and those who have experienced violence.

Simple acts of kindness, sharing childcare responsibilities within communities, fostering connections among parents, and discussing the difficulties parents encounter can lead to positive changes.

“Challenges become significantly harder when there’s no community support – lacking social relationships and connections,” Dr. Murthy remarked. “What may seem like normal daily stresses can become burdensome without help. Even a small sign of kindness or support can have a substantial impact during tough times.”

“A little kindness can go a long way,” the surgeon general stated.

Dr. Marc Siegel is a professor of medicine and the medical director at Doctor Radio within New York University’s Langone Health. His latest book is titled “COVID: The Politics of Fear and the Power of Science.” You can follow him on Twitter: @DrMarcSiegel