Study analyzes impact of children's mental health on national workforce

Study analyzes impact of children's mental health on national workforce

As the American economy has undergone rapid and dramatic change, so has the American workforce. Trendy terms like “the great resignation” and “quiet quitting” were coined as we sought to better understand workplace challenges across the country. Many factors have been reported to be contributing to driving these issues, but new research shows that the childhood mental health crisis is a significant and surprising contributor to working parents in America's workforce.

In a first-of-its-kind national study conducted by On Our Sleeves, the children's mental health movement, the Great Collide found that employees' job performance and productivity were negatively affected by their children's mental health.

Now, in its second iteration, On Our Sleeves' study "The Ripple Effect" found that their children's mental health remains a concern for the vast majority of working parents, with nearly half of all parents reporting that in the past year their child's mental health has somewhat or extremely impacted their ability to work most days.

"After discovering the impact that children's mental health has had on the national workforce, it was important for us to dig deeper and flesh out the extent of the impact and look for ways to provide relief for parents and employers. These honest conversations can be difficult and new for many parents, but fortunately, this data points to solutions."

Marti Bledsoe Post, Executive Director, On Our Sleeves

In addition to daily work breaks, many working parents reported long-term career disruptions due to their children's mental health. For working parents who feel like they have to choose between their child and their job, the choice is clear - a third (32%) of working parents say they have changed or quit their job in the last two years because of their child's mental health.

"I quit my job to adjust my schedule and workload to accommodate my children. My children were suffering and I was too exhausted to come home and take care of the things that were going on. I knew I had to quit the job because it was affecting my entire household," Demetris, a working mother, said.

Additionally, among parents who still experience some level of concern and disruption regarding their child's mental health, significantly more Black/African American parents (37%) reported changing their work arrangements due to their child's mental health than white-only parents (26%).

With so many working parents struggling, On Our Sleeves also asked what would help ease the stress they feel and make them more likely to stay with their employer. Many highlighted the need to work with their employers to address the impact of their children's mental health on their work.

Nearly three-quarters of working parents surveyed said that jobs that provide their children with mental health benefits and resources are more attractive than jobs that do not offer such benefits.

“We see caregivers choosing family over work when it comes to their child’s mental health needs, and therefore the U.S. workforce will continue to be impacted by children’s mental health,” said Dr. Ariana Hoet, clinical director of On Our Sleeves and child psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. "Our children are having a hard time and, as a result, their caregivers are too. Equipping caregivers and their employers with resources to address youth mental health is key to our path forward."

On Our Sleeves is pushing for change across the country. As a national advocate for the youth mental health movement, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently met with pediatric behavioral health experts at On Our Sleeves and Nationwide Children's Hospital to discuss the study and the measures currently being taken to protect adolescent mental health.

"We must all work together to address the youth mental health crisis and improve mental health in the workplace. This research reinforces the fact that youth mental health affects not only children, but also parents, caregivers and employers," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “My Surgeon General’s Advisory on Youth Mental Health and Framework on Mental Health and Well-Being in the Workplace outline steps employers can take to support the mental health of their employees and their families, recognizing that employers have a role to play as we work to lay the foundation for a healthier nation.”

In an effort to provide its employees with the best possible work environment, Nationwide Insurance's foundation, the Nationwide Foundation, has partnered with On Our Sleeves to fund this important research. The hope is to raise awareness of the challenges many working parents face and that more companies across the country will be able to create a safe space for their employees to thrive.

“As business leaders, it is important for us to understand what an employee needs to be successful in the workplace.” said Vinita Clements, executive vice president & chief of human resources at Nationwide Insurance, whose foundation funded the study. “By fostering a work environment in which employees feel comfortable, we can better support them.”

Source:

Nationwide Children's Hospital

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