The Crisis No One Talks About: 29% Of Parents Have Considered Suicide

Forbes

12-04-2025

Despite having access to traditional benefits like paid leave and health insurance, nearly a third ... More of caregiving parents report suicidal thoughts. The real issue? A lack of human-centered support.
A startling 29% of working parents have considered suicide or self-harm, according to Care.com's 2025 Cost of Care Report. These aren't caregivers on the margins. They're employees in jobs that offer health insurance, paid leave and child care benefits. But benefits, it turns out, aren't the same as real support. And for many caregivers, the gap between the two can feel like a breaking point.
Why have nearly a third of caregiving parents reported thoughts of ending their lives? After all, their employers are offering support through traditional benefits. But access to benefits does not always translate to real-world relief.
Caregiving is overwhelming and multifaceted. According to the report, the average parent manages five different care arrangements for children, aging loved ones, pets and more. More than half of adults in their 40s are part of the sandwich generation—caring for both kids and older parents. This pressure doesn't stop when the workday starts. It follows them home and to work, often without a break or backup plan.
Studies have consistently found that stressful life events—including financial strain, caregiving burdens and interpersonal conflict—are significant risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. These stressors are linked to increased suicide risk even when accounting for mental health conditions such as depression or PTSD.
One of the most overlooked but impactful stressors is job insecurity. The fear of losing one's job is intensified by caregiving responsibilities. When workers struggle to meet expectations due to outside demands, they begin to question their job stability and long-term career prospects.
This fear is especially acute in high-pressure industries that rely on layoffs, restructures or performance-based reviews. And when job security is already fragile, economic uncertainty only magnifies those concerns. According to LinkedIn's Workforce Confidence survey, 2025's economic volatility has made employees feel less secure about their careers, finances and long-term growth.
While many companies offer employee benefits like backup child care or paid leave, they often remain underutilized. And many employees aren't even aware these benefits exist. Care.com's report found that while 69% of employees report moderate to high risk of burnout, only 45% of employers recognize that risk in their workforce.
The day-to-day experience of caregiving is exhausting and isolating. True support is more than what's listed in a benefits handbook. It's shaped by how those benefits are understood, accessed and normalized within workplace culture. Support looks like flexibility without stigma, mental health resources without shame, and leadership that models empathy.
Benefits might say 'you're covered,' but support says 'you're not alone.'
Even when benefits are available, workplace culture doesn't always make room for empathy. In always-on environments, caregivers often feel that asking for time off or help could hurt their reputation—or even their job security. They may avoid using benefits out of fear they'll seem less committed, promotable or reliable. That fear, paired with stigma and emotional exhaustion, can leave caregivers feeling invisible and unsupported.
Support is human, active and ongoing. It's cultivated in environments where people aren't afraid to say, 'I need help.' Employers can no longer assume that offering benefits is enough. Until caregiving is normalized, protected and resourced with empathy, we will continue to fail the very people who keep our families, workplaces and communities running.