Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has served in three administrations, and he says that while parenthood is joyful and fulfilling, "the truth is it has also been more stressful than any job I've had." In an op-ed at the New York Times, Murthy says the stress and mental health challenges faced by parents are a "serious public health concern for our country," which is why he is issuing a surgeon general's advisory to call attention to the issue. He notes that according to a recent study, some 48% of parents say stress is completely overwhelming most days, compared to 26% of other adults.
- Parents are "navigating traditional hardships of parenting—worrying about money and safety, struggling to get enough sleep—as well as new stressors, including omnipresent screens, a youth mental health crisis and widespread fear about the future," Murthy writes. Stress is compounded, he writes, "by an intensifying culture of comparison, often amplified online, that promotes unrealistic expectations of what parents must do."