It turns out the old stressor chestnuts—money, work, the economy, and now political concerns—haven’t let up.
“Since 2006, the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Stress in America™ survey has examined sources of stress and its impact on the health and wellbeing of Americans living in the United States.
Katherine C. Nordal, PhD, APA’s executive director for professional practice, stated:
We know that chronic stress can take a toll on a person’s health. It can make existing health problems worse, and even cause disease, either because of changes in the body or bad habits people develop to cope with stress. The bottom line is that stress can lead to real physical and emotional health consequences.
“Since that first survey, overall stress levels have gradually decreased for Americans, with results from our August 2016 poll showing the lowest overall reported stress level in 10 years.
“However, an additional poll conducted in early January 2017 shows more Americans reporting symptoms of stress and citing personal safety and terrorism as sources of stress.
“Prior to our 2016 poll, top stressors for the American population remained steady, with Americans being most likely to report money, work, and the economy as very or somewhat significant sources of stress in their lives.
“During the spring of 2016, however, APA’s member psychologists began reporting that their patients were increasingly concerned and anxious about the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Based on this feedback, we inquired for the first time about Americans’ stress related to this issue.
(Full report here).
In the January 2017 survey, more than half of Americans (57 percent) report that the current political climate is a very or somewhat significant source of stress.
Two-thirds (66 percent) say the same about the future of our nation, and nearly half (49 percent) report that the outcome of the election is a very or somewhat significant source of stress.
Increased Stress Raises Health Concerns
The additional stress is also affecting our health.
The percentage of Americans who reported experiencing at least one symptom of stress over the past month rose from 71 percent in August 2016 to 80 percent in January 2017.
This includes physical and emotional symptoms such as:
- headache (34 percent)
- feeling overwhelmed (33 percent)
- feeling nervous or anxious (33 percent)
- feeling depressed or sad (32 percent)
“The results of the January 2017 poll show a statistically significant increase in stress for the first time since the survey was first conducted in 2007.
“Average reported stress levels declined between 2007 and 2012.
“Although reported stress levels increased slightly in 2013 and again in 2015 the increases were not statistically significant.”
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Photos: APA, NBC News