More than half (55 per cent) of U.S. working parents say they aren’t receiving enough support from their employer while having to care for their teenagers’ mental-health needs, according to a new survey by Economist Impact and Cigna Corp.
The survey, which polled 1,100 working parents, found nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of working parents said their teenager’s emotional state has a negative impact on their job performance and productivity, while 14 per cent reported leaving the workforce to care for their children.
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Respondents said the main barriers to getting help for their teen’s mental-health issues are difficulty finding a trusted mental-health provider (64 per cent), delays or long wait times (63 per cent) and challenges paying for mental-health services (57 per cent).
Roughly 80 per cent of respondents said the coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of their teenage children, including new or increased levels of anxiety, depression, behavioural issues and problems with social interactions.
And working parents said their teen’s mental-health issues are also leading to increased stress around finances (33 per cent), negative impacts on their own mental health (31 per cent) and increased tension with their spouse/partner (24 per cent).
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