Parental mental health & well-being in the NICU: Addressing the surgeon general's advisory.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2025
Identifier
DOI: 10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152111
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.
Journal Title
Seminars in perinatology
Volume
49
Issue
6
First Page
152111
Last Page
152111
MeSH Keywords
Humans; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Parents; Infant, Newborn; Mental Health; United States; Stress, Psychological; Social Isolation; Social Stigma
PubMed ID
40603153
Keywords
Health-related social needs; NICU parent; NICU parent support; Parent mental health; Psychosocial needs in NICU
Recommended Citation
Hansen K, Gladdis T, Kukora S. Parental mental health & well-being in the NICU: Addressing the surgeon general's advisory. Semin Perinatol. 2025;49(6):152111. doi:10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152111
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