Today’s parents have a lot on their plates as their children confront an ever-changing list of difficulties, but mental health and bullying are among the top concerns for parents.
The paper highlights the COVID-19 epidemic and its impacts on mental health, yet despair and anxiety were becoming increasingly common among young people before the pandemic.
Mental Health Among Children
According to a Pew Research Center poll of 3,757 parents with children under the age of 18, four out of ten are “very” or “very” concerned that their child would develop anxiety or depression in the future. The second most common concern among parents is that their children may be bullied.
Thirty-five percent of survey respondents indicated they are “very” or “very concerned” about their children being bullied at some point in their life. According to the survey, mothers are more inclined than fathers to be concerned about their children’s mental health.
Almost half of the moms polled (46%) are “very” or “very” concerned that their children may acquire anxiety or depression at some point in their life.
According to the survey, more than 40% of moms are concerned about their children being bullied, while 28% of fathers are concerned about their children being bullied.
Parental concerns differ along racial and socioeconomic lines. White and Hispanic parents are more inclined than others to be concerned about their children’s mental health. 42 percent of White parents and 43 percent of Hispanic parents indicated they are “very” or “very” concerned that their children may suffer from anxiety or depression.
More than 30 percent of Black parents and 28 percent of Asian parents agreed. Parents with low incomes were more likely to be concerned about their children acquiring mental health problems or being bullied.
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Parents Worry About Bullying At School
Almost half of the lower-income parents, or 48%, indicated they are “very” or “very” concerned about their children experiencing anxiety or depression and being bullied.
Among middle-income parents polled, 38% are “very” or “very” concerned about their children suffering from anxiety or depression, and 33% are concerned about their children being bullied.
A smaller proportion of high-income parents voiced serious concerns about their children’s mental health, with 32% saying they are “very” or “very” concerned that their children would acquire anxiety or depression.
Similarly, 24% of high-income parents are concerned about their children being bullied. However, other worries were almost as important to low-income parents as mental health and bullying.
Anxiety in youngsters grew by 27% between 2016 and 2019, according to a March study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Depression increased by 24% throughout the same period. Approximately 9.2% of youngsters were diagnosed with anxiety, while 4% were diagnosed with depression.
Bullying was second only to mental health in the thoughts of the parents polled. 35% are very anxious that their child will be bullied, while 39% are somewhat concerned.
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