With Parent Mental Health Day approaching, the conversation around wellbeing at home has never felt more urgent. or more overlooked.
Parents are often expected to be endlessly resilient, quietly balancing work, care and emotional labour with little space to pause.
Smiley News reached out to stem4, the teen mental health charity that set up this awareness day to share why supporting parental mental health matters, how it connects to young people’s wellbeing, and what practical change can look like when families are truly supported.
1. Why is Parent Mental Health Day especially important right now, particularly in the context of rising pressures such as cost of living, burnout, and reduced support networks?
Supporting parent mental health is a key protective factor for positive mental health in children and young people. Parents are at the core of family life, and when their mental health is affected, their capacity to cope can be reduced, directly impacting children’s wellbeing, emotional safety, and sense of security. Current pressures such as the rising cost of living, burnout, and reduced support networks are well-known contributors to poor mental health. Parent Mental Health Day provides a vital opportunity to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage open conversation and shared experiences.
2. What are some of the most common mental health challenges parents are experiencing today that are still not openly talked about enough? And what support is out there for them?
Some of the most common challenges include chronic stress, anxiety disorders, low mood, and depression. These difficulties can arise from a range of factors, including social and workplace pressures, genetic vulnerability, difficult relationships, or the demands of supporting a child or young person with mental or physical health difficulties. Many parents and carers worry about disclosing mental health struggles due to stigma or feelings of shame.
Support is available through the NHS, voluntary sector organisations, peer support groups, workplace support programmes, and digital mental health tools. However, services are often under-resourced and overstretched, and parents may need guidance to identify what support is most appropriate. Where digital support is used, it is important that this is evidence-based, such as the stem4 apps, which have been developed and clinically informed by mental health professionals.
3. How does a parent’s mental health impact the wider family, and why is supporting parents’ wellbeing also a preventative step for children’s mental health?
A parent’s mental health has a significant influence on the emotional climate of the family. Supporting parents’ wellbeing helps them respond more consistently and sensitively to their children’s needs, strengthening emotional security and resilience. In this way, supporting parent mental health is also a preventative step for children and young people’s mental health.
4. Why do so many parents delay or avoid seeking help for their mental health, and what can be done to reduce stigma and unrealistic expectations around parenting?
Parents often delay seeking help due to stigma, fear of judgement, or unrealistic expectations of what parenting “should” look like. Creating opportunities for open discussion and normalising shared experiences is a crucial first step. Parent Mental Health Day plays an important role in encouraging these conversations.
It is also important that parents have access to trusted resources developed by experienced children and young people’s mental health professionals, and co-created with parents who have lived experience. Unrealistic expectations can be reinforced by peer comparison or curated social media content, so building self-esteem and helping parents access reliable information and clear signposting to support can make a real difference.
5. Beyond advice around “self-care”, what types of practical support make the biggest difference to parents’ mental wellbeing?
Practical support can be transformative. This includes access to childcare, respite opportunities, and local community-based services such as drop-ins and peer support groups. Non-judgemental support through schools and colleges, quicker access to a range of mental health interventions, and clear information about how and where to seek help are all essential. Evidence-based self-guided tools can also be beneficial for families, for example the stem4 Clear Fear app, which uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches to support anxiety.
6. Finally, what is one message you would want every parent to hear on Parent Mental Health Day, especially those who are feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or like they are struggling to cope?
Be honest with yourself and take stock of your own mental health. Seeking support and taking steps to address difficulties is a strength, not a weakness. Support is available, even if services are stretched, so keep trying until you find the help that works for you.
For parents and anyone struggling with their mental health, stem4 offers trusted support, practical resources and a place to start—visit stem4.org.uk to find help and guidance.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Zero to Three. This is a US-based nonprofit dedicated to the healthy social-emotional development of babies and toddlers and the wellbeing of the parents and caregivers who support them. Through research, policy advocacy, and widely used resources for families and professionals, they help parents nurture early development and strengthen mental wellbeing from birth. Learn more here.
Maternal Mental Health Alliance. This is a UK charity and network of over 160 organisations working to ensure that families affected by perinatal mental health problems receive compassionate, high-quality support before, during and after pregnancy. Discover their work here.
Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health (GAMMH). This is an international coalition committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of women, partners and families around the world during pregnancy and the first year after birth. By strengthening global collaboration, evidence-based support and advocacy, GAMMH works to reduce the burden of perinatal mental health conditions across diverse regions. Find out more here.
This positive news article aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing.