CHICAGO, July 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent national survey by
Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) reports that among parents' top
concerns for their children's health is their mental health, but
less than 20% of parents indicated awareness of all the mental
health resources and services schools provide to support children's
mental health and well-being.
National Survey: Nearly 70% of parents
surveyed are concerned about their child struggling with their
mental health.
The Parent and Child Mental Health Survey asked more than
1,000 parents and caregivers from across the country what worries
them most about their children's health and what would help resolve
those concerns. The survey was designed to understand parents'
perceptions of safe and supportive school environments and schools'
role in providing support and resources for youth mental
health.
Key findings from the survey include:
Parent Concerns
- 76% of parents surveyed worried about their child spending too
much time on a computer, television, or tablet.
- 70% of parents surveyed worried about a student or another
individual bringing a weapon to school.
- 67% of parents surveyed were concerned about their child
struggling with their mental health.
Mental Health
- Less than 20% of parents surveyed were aware of all the mental
health resources and services schools provide to support children's
mental health and well-being. About 40% had limited to no awareness
of the types of resources and services their child's school
offers.
- 63% of parents surveyed are supportive of schools providing
training for parents and caregivers to better understand and
support their child's mental health; only 17% shared that they are
aware of training in their child's school.
Race and Ethnicity
- 55% of middle and high school parents identifying as Black and
39% of parents identifying as Hispanic worry more about their child
experiencing racism, as compared to 15% of parents identifying as
White.
- 42% of parents identifying as Black and 49% of parents
identifying as Hispanic, believe their schools provide their child
with access to talk with a trusted teacher or other adult at
school; nearly 68% of parents identifying as White believed their
schools provide this resource.
Gender/Sexual Identity
- Of the 63 parents who responded their middle or high school
student identifies as LBGTQIA+, 57% reported their child feels
safe and supported with 43% saying no/unsure.
This survey is part of a series of surveys exploring parents'
mindsets commissioned by Action for Healthy Kids in partnership
with the CDC Foundation. You can find the report from the Parent
and Child Mental Health Survey online.
To respond to parents' needs for more mental health supports,
AFHK launched the Confident Connections campaign to offer
more than 30 free resources for parents and caregivers of children
in grades K-12 to learn about and support youth mental health. The
resources, based on findings from the Parent and Child Mental
Health Survey, were created with input from AFHK's parent advisory
board.
With approaches including conversation prompts and family games,
Confident Connections provides guidance to parents and caregivers
to engage in meaningful conversations, activities to connect
in authentic ways, and information to deepen their understanding of
youth mental health. The resources are based on age-appropriate
approaches for children from grades K-12.
"In our surveys, parents and caregivers have been consistent in
their desire for access to more resources to support their child's
mental health," said Rob Bisceglie,
Executive Officer & President at Action for Healthy Kids.
"Through our Confident Connections campaign, AFHK is providing
parents and caregivers with many of the resources they want and
need to address the mental health issues that concern parents the
most."
"These resources offer helpful tips for parents and caregivers
to stay close, connected, and involved with their children and
adolescents, at home and in their schools," said Dr. Kathleen Ethier, Director, CDC's Division of
Adolescent and School Health. "Adolescents experience fewer health
risks when their parents know what is going on with them and their
lives—staying engaged can make a big difference in preventing youth
mental health issues."
"Supporting parents and caregivers is crucial in fostering the
mental health and well-being of our students," said Catherine Zilber, vice president of infectious
disease programs at the CDC Foundation. "By providing these
resources, we can create a nurturing environment that promotes
resilience, reduces stigma and ensures every student has the
opportunity to thrive."
About the Survey
Action for Healthy Kids conducted two
waves of the Parent and Child Mental Health Survey:
- Wave 1 was a 48-question online survey of 1,016 parents and
guardians across the U.S., from both rural and non-rural
areas, with children enrolled in public K-12 schools. The survey
was fielded in English and Spanish in December 2023.
- Wave 2 was a 56-question online survey of 1,047 parents and
guardians across the U.S., from rural and non-rural
areas, with children enrolled in public K-12 schools. The survey
was fielded in English, Spanish and Korean in March – April 2024.
This project on Improving Mental, Behavioral and Academic
Supports to Students and Families, Part 2 is supported by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial
assistance award totaling $434,555
with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of,
nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. The
contents also do not necessarily support the official views of the
CDC Foundation.
ABOUT ACTION FOR HEALTHY KIDS
Action for Healthy Kids believes that healthy children make a
better world. As a national nonprofit, Action for Healthy Kids'
mission is to foster learning environments that support optimal
child health and well-being. Through its core programming and
family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted
more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to
address systemic challenges in underserved communities. To learn
more, visit actionforhealthykids.org.
Media contact: Lynda Carlisle,
Lcarlisle@cs-effect.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-survey-parents-top-concern-is-childrens-mental-health-but-many-lack-awareness-and-access-to-resources-and-services-302206774.html
SOURCE Action For Healthy Kids