Parenting stress and loneliness are on rise, experts say
CTV
Parental stress and loneliness are on the rise, experts say, as a combination of isolation, financial challenges and lost sleep put families under strain.
Parental stress and loneliness are on the rise, experts say, as a combination of isolation, financial challenges and lost sleep put families under strain.
Dayna Lee-Baggley, a clinical psychologist in Halifax, says being a parent is often a difficult and isolating task. She has urged people to expand their social circle, and have interests outside of the household to allow them to take a break from parenting.
“One of the things we saw in the pandemic was, when you had to be with just your nuclear family it doesn’t always work that well and it’s not designed to work that way,” she said in an interview with CTV News. “We need other people, both out of loneliness and for practical reasons.”
Lee-Baggley also notes that because of social media, many parents might think they are keeping meaningful and healthy connection with other people.
“But watching social media feeds is not a social connection,” she said.
Lee-Baggley's not alone in her concerns. Across the border, a newly released advisory from the U.S. surgeon-general's office highlighted the strain on parent's mental health.
The release cited a 2023 American Psychological Association study that found 48 per cent of parents reported "completely overwhelming" stress, and a five-year review that found a shrinking proportion of parents saying they were coping "very well" with the demands of raising a family in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.
