On August 28 2024, the US Surgeon General, @Vivek Murthy, wrote a very personal Guest Essay Opinion in the New York Times introducing his latest Health Advisory, to –in his own words– “call attention to the stress and mental health concerns facing parents and caregivers and to lay out what we can do to address them.”
He explains: “The stress and mental health challenges faced by parents — just like loneliness, workplace well-being and the impact of social media on youth mental health — aren’t always visible, but they can take a steep toll. It’s time to recognize they constitute a serious public health concern for our country. Parents who feel pushed to the brink deserve more than platitudes. They need tangible support.”
This new advisory came just three years after a previous one Mr. Murthy had issued regarding “Youth Mental Health.” Whether you are a parent or not, I am sure that you can feel the current stressors pulling on your mental health; and imagine how much worse it can be if you are dealing with children who have their own mental health issues.
I am privileged to teach and lead Parent Education classes and programs at @PEP, the Parent Encouragement Program, a Maryland-based non-profit that’s been bringing parenting programs to over 75,000 parents for the last 40+ years. I am also serving on PEP’s board. I was therefore beyond delighted and honored when Fox 5 DC Live Zone’s host @Guy Lambert contacted PEP to share some thoughts about this latest Surgeon General Advisory. And thrilled when asked to actually join Guy on the show to answer his questions!
You can watch the sequence below. Please feel free to share your personal experiences or thoughts about this topic in the comments. Are you a parent struggling with stress? Or do you have children who do? Maybe both? The more we share, the more we normalize. The more we speak about problems, the better we can start tackling them. We don’t have to do any of this alone!! I am here for you, and PEP is here for you. Check out PEP’s Family Resiliency Program – ***FREE*** for all parents in Montgomery, Frederick, Howard and Dorchester Counties!!