Parents Overwhelmed by Stress, How Can Employers Help?

“Being a parent is stressful” could be a truth as old as time, but in a report from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, alarm bells are ringing on multiple stressors that are making parenting stress skyrocketing and making parents’ well-being a “critical health priority.”

In this Pacific Prime article, we explore these alarming trends in parenting stress, the internal and external stressors that are putting pressure on modern parents, and how corporates–a place where many of us dedicate a significant amount of time–can step in and help.

Parenting Stress on the Increase

According to the report by the U.S. Surgeon General, 33% of parents reported experiencing high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% in adults without children.

41% of parents also reported they experience stress so severe they “cannot function” and 48% reported they felt “completely overwhelmed by stress” in 2023. The number was markedly higher compared to those adults without children, which stood at 20% and 26% respectively.

The trend is alarming as severe and prolonged stress can have detrimental effects on parents’ mental well-being which, in turn, could have a profound impact on the child and the family as a whole.

The report highlighted multiple stressors that are contributing to the downward spiral of parents’ well-being. Many are related to parents’ genuine concerns for their child’s well-being, while many are also contributed to by the dynamics in our modern society.

Here are some stressors highlighted by Dr. Murthy in his report:

Financial Strain and Economic Stressors

From the cost of childcare to education and healthcare, 66% of parents reported they felt consumed by financial worries compared to 39% of adults without a child. One in four of the parents surveyed also reported having instances where they could not afford basic needs for their child.

These financial worries, in turn, create a vicious cycle where parents worry they might not be able to fulfill their child’s needs, which further leads to a negative impact on their mental health and childcare capabilities.

Time Demand

Despite modern efforts to strike a work-life balance, parents are working more.

Parents nowadays spend an average of 33.5 hours per week on employed work or work-related activities. This meant a 28% increase for mothers, who, in 1985, spent an average of 20.9 hours per week working compared to 26.7 hours per week in 2022. While for fathers, the number has increased by 4% from 39.8 hours per week in 1985 to 41.2 hours per week in 2022.

Parents who are stuck in a ‘sandwich generation’ and have to care for their aging parents as well as their child also reported significantly more financial worries and emotional difficulties compared to those who do not.

Children’s Health and Safety

The youth’s mental health also affects the parents. Nearly 3 in 4 parents reported feeling extremely worried for their child’s mental well-being and whether they would struggle with depression or anxiety.

Special healthcare needs are also among the leading stressors for parents, with 14% of parents or caregivers of a child with special healthcare needs reporting having “fair or poor mental health,” two times higher than the 6% of those who are caring for a child without special healthcare needs.

To compound the challenges, external safety concerns are also piling on top of parents. This includes concerns about their child being kidnapped, bullied, attacked, or getting involved with drugs and alcohol.

In the U.S. where firearm-related injury is the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, around 74% of parents find school shootings as a significant source of stress for their child’s safety.

Technology and Social Media

A child with a tablet in their hands might be a common sight nowadays, but technology and social media are among the main stressors for modern parents.

A majority of parents of adolescents expressed that they were somewhat, very, or extremely worried about the content and problems their child might be exposed to on social media. This includes problems such as depression and anxiety from social media usage, lower self-esteem, cyberbullying, societal pressure, and exposure to explicit content.

Parental Isolation and Loneliness

With a lack of social support, parenting can be a lonely experience. In a 2021 survey, 42% of parents who experienced loneliness felt being left out, compared to 24% of non-parents who experienced loneliness.

Cultural Pressure and Children’s Future

With the rapid advancement of digital transformation, many parents find it more difficult to prepare their children for this volatile and uncertain world. The time-intensive approach to parenting also means parents feel more pressure to give more to the child and their child must achieve more to go further in life.

How Employers Can Help Employees Against Parenting Stress

Pulling a break from parenting stress will be a collective task as stressors come from both inside and outside of the household. Employers are in a position to take action especially when it comes to external stressors such as time demand and financial stability.

With parents spending more time at work and financial stability taking hold of everyone’s worries, employee benefits and group health insurance can be the keys for employers to lead change and empower working parents in their office.

Expand Policies and Support for Working Parents

Parents are grappling with time demands both from their work and their childcare duties. Employers could help their staff strike a fine balance through options of paid parental leave, medical leave, sick leave, an option for flexible or remote work schedules, and child care assistance in the form of childcare subsidiaries or on-site child care service.

Managers to Take Part in Employees’ Stress and Work-Life Management

Managers who are trained to support and recognize signs of stress and mental health challenges among team members can bring great changes to the team dynamics and become a helping hand for staff in achieving work-life harmony.

Diversity in leadership also extends beyond gender or racial inclusion. By having parents in leadership roles, employers can exemplify the company’s family-friendly culture and support other parents in the workplace, by having someone who understands their difficulties at the decision table.

Comprehensive and Affordable Mental Healthcare for Staff

Affordable and accessible mental healthcare programs could be a game changer for employers in empowering their staff, helping with their health and well-being, and contributing to a more harmonious society.

Parents’ mental health can have a deep impact on child-rearing. Growing up in a household with a parent with a mental health condition or substance abuse is among the adverse childhood experiences that are linked to poor mental, behavioral, and general health of a child in the long run.

Mental health conditions in adults are also detrimental to their productivity and performance at work as well as a risk for potential exclusion from labor market.

Employers can support their employees by providing a robust network of mental healthcare programs, through employee health insurance plans with accessible and comprehensive mental health services or confidential counseling services from employee wellness programs.

How Pacific Prime Can Help You

Pacific Prime provides consultation not only for individuals who are looking for insurance, but also for employers who are looking to provide competitive employee benefits and group health insurance plans for their employees.

As an insurance intermediary, Pacific Prime can assist your company in reviewing your employee benefits and providing price comparisons for group health insurance plans that are tailored to your business needs from numerous insurers.

Contact us for a FREE, no-obligation plan comparison today!

Disclaimer: Pacific Prime solely represents, operates and manages locally regulated insurance products and services in the territory of PR China. Any references to Pacific Prime Global Company or Group, the international services, insurance products or otherwise stated written or verbally, is for introduction purposes about our overseas network only as each entity is fully independent.