Parents’ Mental, Physical Health Impacted Since Start of Pandemic

In this infographic from APA’s Stress in America™ pandemic survey, 75% of parents say they could have used more emotional support than they received, 32% received treatment from a mental health professional, and 24% were diagnosed with a mental health disorder since the pandemic started.

Mothers are more likely than fathers to say their mental health has worsened compared with before the pandemic (39% of mothers vs. 25% of fathers), but fathers are more likely to report behavioral and physical changes:

• • 77% of mothers and 87% of fathers report sleeping more or less than they wanted.
• • 66% of mothers and 80% of fathers report unwanted weight changes.
• • 29% of mothers and 48% of fathers report drinking more alcohol to cope with stress.