Surgeon General Warns That Parents Are So Stressed They Can’t Function
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both seeking to offer relief, but they have differing views on how to achieve it.
TroibNews 
American parents are struggling with unprecedented levels of stress, financial difficulty, and isolation, as revealed by a new report from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. These challenges are significantly greater than those faced by adults without children.
Murthy indicates that governmental assistance like child tax credits, universal pre-school, and other social support programs could offer much-needed relief. These suggestions are echoed in the campaign platforms of both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican contender Donald Trump, each proposing their own solutions to alleviate the financial burdens on parents.
“The stress and the loneliness that parents are dealing with at a disproportionate level has real implications,” Murthy explained. “We’ve got to provide more financial support.”
The report has highlighted that four out of ten parents are overwhelmed by stress, preventing them from functioning effectively on most days. A majority, citing economic struggles as a key factor, shows a clear need for intervention.
Both Harris and Trump recognize these issues, with Harris advocating for the reinstatement of boosted pandemic-era child tax credits and Trump, influenced by his running mate JD Vance, contemplating increases to the child tax credit as well.
Vance emphasized on CBS News’ Face the Nation, “We think it should be bigger.”
Political analyst Adrienne Schweer suggests that, irrespective of the election outcome, initiatives favorable to families are likely. "Both Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance — all four of these sides — have some history of doing work on paid leave and pro-family policy in ways that we haven’t really seen in a suite of candidates," Schweer stated.
Nevertheless, internal GOP debates can sometimes stall these efforts, as shown by recent events where GOP senators rejected a House-passed bill to expand child tax credits.
Innovative thinking about family policy could find more traction with modern conservative figures like Trump and Vance, according to Duncan Braid from American Compass. He noted existing Republican support for enhancing the child tax credit.
Murthy, although not endorsing any specific legislation, praises the concept of the credit. “What we have to recognize is that parents do need a lot more support than they’re getting right now, and the child tax credit is one way to do that,” Murthy affirmed.
Beyond financial aid, Murthy also stresses the importance of social connectivity for improving parental mental health. Addressing rising levels of loneliness among parents, Murthy recalls his personal challenges post-parenthood. He emphasizes the essential nature of physical, real-world communities over online interactions.
While current presidential campaign platforms have not specifically targeted loneliness, bipartisan interest in this issue is growing. Initiatives like those from Sen. Chris Murphy advocating for policies to enhance social bonds, and Rep. Jim Banks’ efforts to tackle loneliness through new legislation, demonstrate a collective concern across the political spectrum.
Murthy concludes, reflecting on his own underestimated need for physical community after starting a family: “I learned the hard way that the kind of community I needed as a parent was different than the community that I had before I became a parent. Had I known, perhaps I would have made more of an effort to invest in in-person community.”
Ian Smith for TROIB News
Murthy indicates that governmental assistance like child tax credits, universal pre-school, and other social support programs could offer much-needed relief. These suggestions are echoed in the campaign platforms of both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican contender Donald Trump, each proposing their own solutions to alleviate the financial burdens on parents.
“The stress and the loneliness that parents are dealing with at a disproportionate level has real implications,” Murthy explained. “We’ve got to provide more financial support.”
The report has highlighted that four out of ten parents are overwhelmed by stress, preventing them from functioning effectively on most days. A majority, citing economic struggles as a key factor, shows a clear need for intervention.
Both Harris and Trump recognize these issues, with Harris advocating for the reinstatement of boosted pandemic-era child tax credits and Trump, influenced by his running mate JD Vance, contemplating increases to the child tax credit as well.
Vance emphasized on CBS News’ Face the Nation, “We think it should be bigger.”
Political analyst Adrienne Schweer suggests that, irrespective of the election outcome, initiatives favorable to families are likely. "Both Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance — all four of these sides — have some history of doing work on paid leave and pro-family policy in ways that we haven’t really seen in a suite of candidates," Schweer stated.
Nevertheless, internal GOP debates can sometimes stall these efforts, as shown by recent events where GOP senators rejected a House-passed bill to expand child tax credits.
Innovative thinking about family policy could find more traction with modern conservative figures like Trump and Vance, according to Duncan Braid from American Compass. He noted existing Republican support for enhancing the child tax credit.
Murthy, although not endorsing any specific legislation, praises the concept of the credit. “What we have to recognize is that parents do need a lot more support than they’re getting right now, and the child tax credit is one way to do that,” Murthy affirmed.
Beyond financial aid, Murthy also stresses the importance of social connectivity for improving parental mental health. Addressing rising levels of loneliness among parents, Murthy recalls his personal challenges post-parenthood. He emphasizes the essential nature of physical, real-world communities over online interactions.
While current presidential campaign platforms have not specifically targeted loneliness, bipartisan interest in this issue is growing. Initiatives like those from Sen. Chris Murphy advocating for policies to enhance social bonds, and Rep. Jim Banks’ efforts to tackle loneliness through new legislation, demonstrate a collective concern across the political spectrum.
Murthy concludes, reflecting on his own underestimated need for physical community after starting a family: “I learned the hard way that the kind of community I needed as a parent was different than the community that I had before I became a parent. Had I known, perhaps I would have made more of an effort to invest in in-person community.”
Ian Smith for TROIB News
