As the population of adults over age 65 rapidly expands, putting more strain on “sandwich generation caregivers,” HR leaders are being asked to broaden their benefits plans beyond childcare to include eldercare. But support for elders and their caregivers isn’t the only glaring gap that needs filling. Another underserved population is employees who are parenting teens.
Teens are struggling with their emotional and mental health
Anyone who’s been a teenager knows first-hand the challenges that come with transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Hormonal changes, mood swings, and struggles with identity can collide with the pressure to fit in, succeed in school, and navigate relationships. Typical teen years are an emotionally charged and stressful time.
A Calm survey showed that about two-thirds of teens are feeling stress about a number of common challenges:
- 66% of teens are stressed about “my future,” and 45% are stressed about “figuring out who I am”
- 63% of teens are stressed about doing well in school
- 64% of teens are stressed about the volume of their schoolwork
Research shows that teens are better equipped to handle these stressors when they receive emotional and social support, but many teens don’t.
According to the CDC’s 2024 National Health Statistics Report,
- Less than one-third of teens (28%) reported always receiving the emotional and social support they needed.
- About 4 in 10 teens (42%) reported that they never, rarely, or sometimes received the emotional and social support they needed.
- Only about one-third of teens (31%) said they usually received the emotional and social support they needed.
Unfortunately, teens who reported receiving emotional and social support “sometimes, rarely, or never” also reported significantly higher rates of negative health outcomes, including anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, very low life satisfaction, and poor quality sleep. In 2023, more than 20% of adolescents ages 12 to 17 had a current, diagnosed mental health condition such as anxiety (16%), depression (8%), or behavior/conduct problems (6%).
Many parents aren’t tuned into the needs of their teens
Teens often don’t receive the emotional support they need because their parents aren’t attuned to their emotional states and perspectives, research suggests. Many parents also have very different perspectives than their teens about the support teens are receiving. Nearly 77% of parents believe their teens always receive the emotional and social support they need, compared to just 28% of teens.
This disconnect between parents and teens is strongly associated with anxiety and depression in both parties. In fact, the more misaligned parents and teens are about a teens’ emotions and perspectives, the higher likelihood that both parents and teens are struggling with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Parents of teens need more emotional and mental health support
Clearly, supporting the emotional and mental well-being of parents is a vital part of supporting the mental health of teens. Yet, most employer benefits plans prioritize the needs of parents of newborns and young children—through parental leave or childcare support, for example—and not the needs of parents of teens. Flexible work arrangements can be helpful to parents managing challenging family schedules, but employers and health plans can do more to support the emotional and mental health needs of employees caring for teens.
Doing so benefits both families and organizations, research shows. In fact, family-friendly policies and programs are associated with several positive family and workplace outcomes, including lower levels of conflict, better work-life balance, career success, and job satisfaction.
Calm Health program offers evidence-based support to parents of teens
Calm Health can help employers fill the gap by offering support specifically designed to address the common challenges experienced by parents of teens. Parenting Teens: Growing and Changing Together is an evidence-based program on Calm Health that provides practical tools and insights to help parents better understand and connect with their changing teen.
The 12-episode clinical program on Calm Health was developed by Dr. Annalise Caron and Dr. Suzanne Allen who together make up The Parenting Pair, an online initiative that provides science-informed guidance to parents of teens and tweens with mental health concerns. Dr. Caron is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified CBT therapist, and director of a psychology group private practice. Dr. Allen is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-director of a private practice.
The 12 sessions in Parenting Teens: Growing & Changing Together
- What Adolescence is All About
Parents are introduced to the idea that the better they can understand the brain and body changes behind their teen’s behaviors, the more effective they can be as a parent, which helps their teen’s growth and their relationship. - Rewiring Your Relationship
Parents gain insight about the brain development that’s happening behind their teen’s risky choices and big emotions, along with practical “do’s and don’ts” for a healthier relationship with their teen. - The Game Has Changed, So You Have to Too
This session helps parents understand why and how their role needs to change as their teen grows and evolves. - Accepting Your Imperfect Teen
Listeners learn about slowing down when flooded with worries about their teen, and how to take a beat before reacting out of fear, anger, or frustration. - Tackling Problems with Your Teen
This episode helps parents understand the importance of not jumping in to fix their teen’s problems and shares tips for helping them solve their own problems. - Go Ahead and Apologize!
Parents learn about the benefits of apologizing to their teen and how to avoid common traps that can sabotage their efforts. - It’s Not Your Teen . . . It’s You!
This session shares insights about what’s really going on when a parent reacts to their teen’s behavior, the benefits of staying calm, and strategies for doing so. - Your Health and Well-being Matter
Parents are encouraged to tip the scales back into balance by giving themselves some of the care they give to others. - The Outside World – Peers and Community
This episode helps parents identify and release common beliefs about teens that aren’t helpful. - Supporting Your Stressed Out Teen
Parents learn about healthy and unhealthy stress so they can better support their stressed out teen. - Talking About Tough Topics
This session shares practical strategies for having respectful conversations with teens about challenging topics, such driving fast, drug use, and sexual activity. - Facing Mistakes Together
Parents are reminded about the messiness of life and how mistakes can actually be a good thing. They’re taught strategies for helping their teens work through their mistakes and stumbles.
More Calm Health programs designed for parents and caregivers
Calm Health’s library of evidence-based programs for parents and teens also includes Parenting Teens with Mental Health Conditions, Inclusive Parenting for LGBTQ+ Youth, Taking Charge of Your Teen Anxiety, Teen Guide to Taking on Depression, and Managing ADHD Effectively as a Teen. Calm Health is now available to teen dependents aged 13 and older.
Better teen mental health begins with better support for parents
Parents are experiencing stress at much higher rates than those who aren’t parents. One source of that stress is the well-being of their teens: Over half of parents (55%) report being very or extremely concerned about the mental health of teens, perhaps compounding the impact of other sources of stress in their lives, such as work-related stress or financial concerns.
Similarly, almost 40% of teens reported being at least “somewhat worried” about the mental health of at least one of their parents. And more than half (53%) of teens are feeling stressed about their parents’ opinions and expectations of them, according to Calm’s survey.
Evidence-based mental health support designed specifically for parents of teens can help them understand their teens better and navigate a time of major growth and change. To offer parents in your workforce insights and practical tips for raising a teen, download our guide: Raising Resilient Teens: Your Essential Caregiver’s Toolkit.
Calm Health is a mental health wellness product. Calm Health is not intended to diagnose or treat depression, anxiety, or any other disease or condition. Calm Health is not a substitute for care by a physician or other health care provider. Any questions that you may have regarding the diagnosis, care, or treatment of a medical condition should be directed to your physician or health care provider.
