JACKSON, Wyo. — Now is an incredibly unique—and uniquely difficult—time in history to be a parent. Like all individuals, parents are having their own experiences during this pandemic—wrestling with fear, uncertainty and separation from communities that ground and support them—while also managing the emotions, disappointments, educations and unexpected disruptions in the lives of their children.
Parents are reassuring children that life will return to its familiar rhythms, all the while fighting to believe this themselves.
In addition to the emotional duress of this time, parents are also dealing with increased financial anxieties. Parents are experiencing job losses, seeking new jobs and adjusting to roles that look vastly different than they did in early 2020, and doing their best to make ends meet and support their families.
Parents are keeping brave faces through this pandemic while confronting challenges without precedent in recent history. There is no road map for managing this time best, for the unique set of circumstances for one’s family.
According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, almost one-third of U.S. parents reported decreased mental health since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These mental health concerns lead to loss of sleep, deterioration of relationships and increased behavioral difficulty in children.
Rates of food insecurity are rising, caregiving is actively changing forms (and in many cases, has disappeared over the course of this year) and 14% of parents report their children’s behavior has suffered during these months.
Children’s moods and behaviors are highly reflective of their parents. This reality can add more pressure on parents to stay calm and collected, even as instances of parental anxiety, stress and depression are increasing nationwide.
Parents must balance a multitude of moving parts, logistically, emotionally, and mentally. Ten months into this global pandemic, the fatigue of holding so many pieces of life together that are actively falling apart is threatening the stability of many.
Though this time can feel profoundly isolating and separating, parents need not bear the burden of their responsibilities and mental health concerns alone. Parents must not suffer in silence.
There is great value in acknowledging how difficult this time is—in assessing how your mental and behavioral health has fared during this time. There is great value in practicing self-compassion—in allowing oneself to seek professional help better to understand one’s own condition and mental well-being.
It is necessary for parents and their families to address ongoing and exacerbated mental and behavioral health concerns with healthcare professionals. Thanks to the initiative and pilot project, Mental Health JH, acquiring professional mental and behavioral help as a parent has never been more accessible.
Mental Health JH, supported and funded by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole and St. John’s Health Foundation, enables anyone employed in the Greater Teton Region—or most recently employed in the Greater Teton Region—the opportunity to meet with mental health professionals for six free visits.
Mental Health JH actively supports parents and other Greater Teton Region residents in addressing their mental and behavioral health concerns. From finding one’s best local fit for therapy to funding six hours’ worth of conversations with healthcare professionals, Mental Health JH is committed to improving mental and behavioral health for all residents of this region.
Ultimately, a parent’s investment of time and energy in their mental health will be repaid tenfold—not only in their own lives but in the lives of those for whom they care and to whom they are connected. The benefits of speaking with a professional about one’s mental and behavioral health will be reaped in family relationships, friendships and in one’s own life experience.
Though there might not be a specific road map for this time, there are tried-and-true strategies and coping mechanisms with which we can embrace this time, stay tuned in to our mental health, and honor the reality that when we are more mentally healthy, our families will be, too.
