Supporting Parents’ Mental Health to Protect Children’s Futures

Supporting Parents’ Mental Health to Protect Children’s Futures

Across the United States, 18.8 million children under age five are growing up in families where parental mental health deeply shapes early development (Children’s Defense Fund, 2023). While exact numbers are unknown, national survey data suggest that nearly one in five parents experiences a mental illness each year (Stambaugh et al., 2017). The emotional well-being of parents and young children is tightly connected—when one struggles, the other is affected. Parenting stress can trigger new mental health conditions or worsen existing ones, especially when families face additional social or economic hardship (U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, 2024).

Children exposed to substance use disorders (SUDs) or intimate partner violence (IPV) face especially high risks (U.S. Office of the Surgeon General, 2024; Lander et al., 2013). About one in four children in the U.S. lives with a parent who has an SUD, increasing their likelihood of developing behavioral or emotional problems (McCabe et al., 2025; Lander et al., 2013). Likewise, children who witness IPV are twice as likely to experience depression, anxiety, or conduct disorders (Kemal et al., 2023). Early childhood—when brain development and neuroplasticity are at their peak—is the most effective time to provide support that can change lifelong outcomes for both parents and children (Buka et al., 2022).

Yet, the systems designed to help often treat parents and children separately, even during the perinatal period. Many parents—especially mothers—face steep barriers to care: lack of childcare, paid leave, transportation, affordable healthcare, and stigma (Agterberg et al., 2020). Social stigma may stem from cultural beliefs, distrust of providers, or fear of judgment, and it can be magnified by challenges such as housing instability, IPV, or substance use (Misra et al., 2021).

On the provider side, access is limited by a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals. As of 2024, over one-third of Americans live in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, with rural regions especially underserved (HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, 2024). Licensing restrictions across states further hinder telehealth expansion. The lack of workforce diversity and ongoing stigma in many communities also deters minority families from seeking help (Misra et al., 2021).

Even when help is found, Medicaid billing rules can make early childhood mental health treatment nearly impossible. Fewer than half of U.S. states allow Medicaid to reimburse dyadic (parent–child) sessions, and only eight states recognize a parent’s mental health condition as justification for treating a young child (Smith et al., 2023). This leaves many families without access and limits providers’ ability to sustain services, despite high enrollment needs (Medicaid.gov, 2025).

To truly support children’s mental health, we must support their parents—through integrated family-based care, equitable reimbursement, and stronger community systems. The science is clear: early intervention works best when parents and children heal together.