Mental & Emotional Health

Top parental concerns center on children’s and teens’ use of devices and social media. Over half of parents rate mental health issues as a big problem. Parents in low-income households rate more issues as a big problem for children and teens.

2 out of 3 parents say their child is self-conscious about some aspect of their appearance. 1 in 5 parents say their teens avoid things like being in photos due to being self-conscious about their appearance. 1 in 3 parents say their child has been treated unkindly because of their appearance.

Only four in ten parents say their adolescent's primary care provider asks about mental health concerns at all check-ups. More than one in four parents report their adolescent has ever had a visit or appointment with a mental health specialist. Nearly half of parents whose adolescent had a mental health visit reported difficulties getting care.

1 in 6 parents report high stress levels during the holidays. Twice as many mothers than fathers report high levels of holiday stress. 1 in 5 parents say their stress level negatively affects their child’s enjoyment of the holidays. 1 in 3 parents are relieved when their child goes back to school after the holiday break.

3 in 4 parents say COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their teens being able to interact with friends. 1 in 3 teen girls and 1 in 5 teen boys have experienced new or worsening anxiety since March 2020. Half of parents have relaxed family rules to allow their teen more contact with friends.

1 in 3 parents definitely support having a mental health program like peer support leaders at their teen's school. 2 in 3 parents would allow their teen to be trained as a peer support leader. Parent concerns about peer support leaders include confidentiality, training, and identifying crisis situations.

Overuse of social media/screen time and bullying/cyberbullying are the top 2 concerns among parents overall. Black parents rate racism as the top health concern for kids in the US. Almost half of parents rate COVID-19 as a “big problem.”

1 in 4 parents say their middle or high school age-child knows a peer or classmate with depression. Though most parents are confident they would recognize depression in their middle or high school-age child, two-thirds cite barriers to recognizing signs and symptoms. 7 in 10 parents think schools should screen all students for depression; 6th grade is the most preferred age to begin depression screening.

Half of fathers have been criticized about their parenting choices, most commonly by their child’s other parent. 2 in 5 fathers who are criticized respond by seeking out information or advice about the topic being criticized. 1 in 5 fathers say criticism about their parenting makes them want to be less involved as a parent.

Parents are more confident that their child's school can provide first aid (77%) than assist a student having an asthma attack (58%) or a mental health problem (38%). Parents view school nurses as most likely to provide first aid or handle an asthma attack, but are less sure about which staff would assist with mental health issues. Parents may overestimate the amount of time a school nurse is onsite at their child's school.