Community Health Needs Assessment Theme 3: Parents Shape the Well-being of Youth.
The third major theme to come of our 2025 community health needs assessment is the role parents play in the lives of youth. More than any other adult, parents have the most influence on youth mental health, according to all participants. Youth love and appreciate their parents and generally describe the relationship with their parents as trusting and supportive, even when it is rough at times. (Note: The term parent includes biological, foster, grandparent, and/or other legal guardians.)
In our 2025 community health needs assessment, we heard 10 major themes impacting youth mental and behavioral health in St. Louis County. See them all and learn how we conducted this assessment.
Strengthening Parenting Skills.
Adults see gaps in parenting skills throughout a child’s development – from preschool to high-school age. Some participants, including youth, think parents should provide more rules, structure, and discipline, while others want more focus on sharpening skills related to empathy, encouragement, communication, and conflict resolution.
Parents acknowledge the urgent need to improve their parenting skills, especially in this age of technology. They recognize the chasm between their childhood and what children face today. Some parents feel overwhelmed and alone. Parents want practical trauma-informed training, support, and programs to help them strengthen their families. They are interested in many topics, such as early identification of mental/behavioral health issues, youth technology use, financial literacy and planning, and how to advocate for their children. They also want opportunities to form relationships with and learn from other parents (e.g., parent meet-up groups) as a complement to the advice they receive from doctors, therapists, counselors, and teachers.
A Whole-Family Approach.
Participants stated family-centered and community-building activities create opportunities for youth to socialize, learn about themselves, play, and be creative. When these activities are available and prioritized by parents, youth feel an increased sense of belonging in their community.
Parents emphasize that intergenerational trauma strongly influences how parents relate to children. They also view it as a cause of undiagnosed or unmanaged mental or behavioral health conditions, including substance use disorders. Participants give examples of how some parents with these conditions struggle to provide a stable home environment or model healthy emotional regulation. Basic needs (e.g., housing, food, clothing) and mental health resources must be available for these parents before assisting the child, they said. Called the whole-family approach by a few participants, this holistic approach recognizes the substantial influence of parents and the home environment on a child’s well-being; this approach encourages service providers to work in partnership with families.
We spoke to more than 300 St. Louisans to understand what needs exist when it comes to youth behavioral health. Learn more about our process.