Dr Glenn Mason, Head of Adult Psychological Therapies at Onebright, explores the mental health challenges of working parents, parenting stress & burnout, and different solutions employers can put in place to support them and their families.
Parent Mental Health Day, held on 30th January, served as a vital reminder of the importance of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of parents, guardians, and carers. Parents make up a significant proportion of those experiencing mental health challenges in the UK, (68% of women and 57% of men), highlighting the urgent need for tailored support. However, mental health doesn’t exist in isolation, when a parent is struggling, the impact is often felt across the entire family.
Ensuring parents receive the right support is crucial, not just for their own wellbeing, but for their children too. Whether it’s financial stress, the pressure of balancing work and family life, or concerns about their child’s mental health, these challenges can take a significant toll, and employers have a unique opportunity to play a key role in supporting parents, creating healthier workplaces and more resilient families.
The Mental Health Challenges of Parents
Parenting is rewarding, but it can sometimes also be an overwhelming experience. With parents making up 43% of the UK workforce (around 13 million people), their mental health directly impacts both their personal lives and workplace performance. Balancing work and family life often leads to a mental load that many parents carry silently.
From managing children’s schedules and household tasks to the pressures of excelling at work, this invisible burden can lead to burnout. Many parents stretch themselves thin trying to meet the competing demands of home and work, leaving little time for self-care. On top of this, financial stress, worsened by the rising cost of living and childcare expenses, adds further pressure, while some can experience guilt for not spending enough time with children due to work commitments. For many parents, the challenges are compounded by concerns about their children’s mental health.
Research shows that one in three parents worried about their children’s mental health have considered reducing their working hours, and 1% have left their jobs entirely.
A study from Deloitte estimates that such concerns are costing UK employers £8 billion annually in absenteeism and presenteeism.
Furthermore, a majority of working parents (63%) who are concerned about their children’s mental health, say they turn to external sources of support to manage these challenges, rather than approaching their employer.
The Link Between Screen Time and Mental Health
This year’s theme, ‘Screen Smart Parenting’, offers an opportunity to explore the challenges surrounding problematic screen use faced by families, and the role employers can play in providing effective support. While digital devices can provide entertainment and educational benefits, excessive screen time is increasingly linked to negative mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and disrupted sleep. This adds another layer of stress for parents who often struggle to manage their children’s screen habits while balancing professional responsibilities.
Practical Solutions for Employers
There are a number of ways to provide meaningful support. Flexible working policies, for example, allow parents to work from home or adjust their hours to better manage childcare responsibilities. This flexibility can be especially valuable for parents with young children who are not yet in school, and would prefer to monitor their early screen use themselves.
Employee Assistance Programmes
Another impactful solution is providing Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), which can offer access to professionals such as psychologists or therapists. These programmes can support parents in managing both their own mental health and that of their children. More specifically, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) offered in EAPs, uses effective strategies for helping children manage screen time through a structured approach. CBT techniques can help children develop healthier habits around digital device use by identifying triggers for excessive screen time and encouraging alternative behaviours. Parents can work with children to establish boundaries while taking care of their emotional wellbeing and self regulation.
Training Line Managers
Additionally, training managers to recognise the unique challenges faced by parents in the workplace and respond with empathy is key to creating a supportive workplace culture. Recognising the early signs of parental burnout can make a significant difference in supporting employees. Burnout often manifests as persistent exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, irritability, withdrawal from social interactions, or a noticeable decline in performance. Parents experiencing other mental health issues may also voice concerns about feeling overwhelmed or display emotional distress related to balancing work and family responsibilities. Training to understand the impact of screen time is not only important for children but also for parents. With the increasing reliance on digital devices for work, it can be all too easy for employees to remain ‘always on,’ checking emails or responding to notifications outside of working hours. Helping parents develop healthier screen habits, both for themselves and their children, can contribute to better mental wellbeing, improved focus, and a clearer separation between work and personal life.
The Return on Investment
Supporting the mental health of parents isn’t just an ethical responsibility for employers – it’s also a strategic one. When parents struggle with their mental health, their engagement, productivity, and overall contribution at work suffer. Stress and anxiety related to family or financial pressures can lead to presenteeism, where employees are physically present but unable to focus fully on their tasks. In other cases, parents may need to take time off to care for themselves and the family, leading to absenteeism and additional workload for colleagues. Over time, these issues can result in higher turnover rates as employees leave to seek more supportive working environments.
However, when employers actively build a culture that supports parental wellbeing, they create an environment where employees can thrive. A workplace that prioritises mental health allows parents to feel understood and supported, enabling them to better manage their responsibilities both at home and at work. Ultimately, this translates into improved retention, reduced absenteeism, and greater productivity.
Taking a holistic approach with family focused support is key, as when a parent is struggling, the ripple effects are felt by the entire family. This might include offering external resources for the whole family, such as counselling or workshops, to help parents manage common challenges like screen time or school related stress. Creating a workplace culture where mental health conversations are normalised and free from stigma ensures that employees feel supported and are more likely to seek help when needed. It’s crucial to recognise that all parents, whether working full-time, part-time, on parental leave, or not currently employed, deserve access to mental health support. Parents are the backbone of our communities, playing a vital role in shaping the next generation, and it is in everyone’s best interest to ensure they receive the care and resources they need.