Parental Mental Health Awareness Day
Hi everyone! It’s a new week, which means it’s time for a new post here at the Center Street Psychology Blog! If this is your first time here, click back to see some of our other posts on attachment styles, communication tools, and goal setting. This week, we’re focusing on parental mental since, since January 27 is Parental Mental Health Awareness Day!
Parental mental health is a very broad topic, so let’s take a look at some statistics to help understand some of the context. According to a study on maternal mental health by Stats Canada, 23% of mothers experience symptoms of post-partum depression or post-partum anxiety (depression or anxiety that develops following the birth of a child; both men and women can experience PPD and PPA). A Centre for Addiction and Mental Health survey found that 30% of parents with at least one child under 18 report feeling depressed. Women in general experience depression and anxiety roughly twice as often as men, while also experiencing more difficulty in accessing care. Couple this systemic difference in mental health care with the fact that 42% of women report being the primary caregiver for children (Stats Canada), and it highlights some of the concerns that mothers face when trying to get help with their mental health.
But, you say, what about the fathers? A University of Toronto study found that nearly 22% of fathers experience high rates of anxiety and/or depression in the first year of their child’s life. Parental and maternal mental health can also be linked, so if one parent is struggling, the other might be more likely to face challenges as well. Parental mental health isn’t just anxiety or depression related; anything from OCD related to the baby to PTSD following a traumatic birth can affect parents.
There are many different configurations of parents and families (single parents, blended families, same-sex, rainbow families, foster/adoption, multi-generational households, etc). One of the overall takeaways from several studies was that children who have parents who struggle with their mental health are more likely to struggle themselves; therefore it’s important to model mental health care as parents so that children learn that there’s nothing shameful or “bad” about looking after mental health in the same way we look after physical health.
Want to know more?
Read the full study (it’s in a report style) about parental mental health in Canada here:
This https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/amy-bell-early-edition-parental-guidance-depression-anxiety-1.6728096 - CBC article also discusses some of the challenges faced by parents.
Please reach out to us at Center Street Psychology, as we provide uniquely tailored therapeutic plans and interventions to support you and collaborate on your personal goals. We are an inclusive clinic, located in Calgary, Alberta that provides in-person and virtual psychological services across Canada in the evenings and weekends. Please text or call 403-399-5120 to talk to our Director of Client Care, Amy, who will guide you through the intake process.
Written by: Lindsay Mcnena
