There’s a mental health crisis impacting families.

Studies show that childhood stress, depression, anxiety and loneliness have been increasing for years – and those numbers are continuing to rise.

So, what’s causing this shift in mental health? Unfortunately, there isn’t just one simple answer. Things like social media pressures, bullying, video games, overscheduling, school violence and more all might play a factor.

But there’s one factor that hits even closer to home. Children are also experiencing trauma because their parents are stressed out.

Parental Mental Health Impacts Children’s Well-Being

Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a public advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents.

The advisory highlights the stressors that impact the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers, the critical link between parental mental health and children’s long-term well-being, and the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers and families.

The key takeaway from the advisory is that parents in the U.S. are stressed, overwhelmed and burned out due to a multitude of unique stressors from raising children. An American Psychological Association survey found that 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month (compared to 20% of other adults) and 48% of parents said that most days their stress is completely overwhelming (compared to 26% among other adults).

It’s clear that this is a public health priority and major changes need to be made at a societal level to better support parents and caregivers.

But it’s also important to think about the impact it’s having on children as well. When a child’s immediate caretaker is struggling with overwhelming stress, children feel it too, whether we realize it or not.

There’s a growing chorus about the tremendous importance of play as an anecdote to childhood stress and anxiety. Not only is play fun and joyous, but it literally heals the effects of toxic stress in a child’s brain. Through play, kids learn how to learn, build relationships with others and develop life skills that set them up for future success. It also creates a space for happiness and expression.

Play is not frivolous, it’s essential.

Kids Need More Play

According to the WHO, parents who want their children to grow up healthy should create more time and space for their kids to play.

“What we really need to do is bring back play for children,” says Dr. Juana Willumsen, the organization’s point person on childhood health.

The guidelines from world health officials add to a growing chorus of child-development experts calling for kids to play more. The AAP have, for years, urged doctors to issue a “prescription for play” to parents and families, noting that play fosters social, emotional and physical development while reducing stress.

The WHO report, which focuses on children under age 5, also lays out recommendations for limiting screentime and reducing sedentary behavior. Instead, parents should provide more time and opportunities for play, particularly the type of open-ended play that lets kids explore freely. The WHO report states:

“Play is defined as being for its own sake (without a specific goal), voluntary, enjoyed by participants and imaginative.”

While there are a lot of factors that can have an impact on a child’s mental health and well-being, it’s clear that play is one of the most impactful tools we have in our toolbox