Parental mental health & well-being in the NICU: Addressing the surgeon general's advisory.

Abstract

The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents highlights the critical role parents play in family and societal health and underscores the urgent need to address the growing mental health challenges faced by parents. For parents with an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the key stressors identified in the advisory - such as financial strain, lack of childcare, lack of paid or universal leave from employment, social isolation, and mental health stigma- are often compounded by the trauma, uncertainty, and emotional toll of hospitalization. The advisory calls for coordinated, systemic efforts to support parental mental health, which is critical in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where parental well-being directly impacts child outcomes.