One-third of Americans under extreme stress

Oct 29 2007

According to the latest survey as many as one-third of American adults is under extreme stress.

An online survey by the American Psychological Association(APA) has revealed that 32 percent say they are experiencing extreme stress but this is just one of many worrying revelations of the survey.

The survey of 1,848 adults was carried out in September and was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the APA.

It was also found that within the previous month, 77 percent of the respondents had experienced a number of physical complications such as fatigue, headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, change in appetite, teeth grinding, change in sex drive, and feeling dizzy, as a result of stress.

Seventy three percent had also endured psychological discomforts within the previous month such as irritability, anger, nervousness, lack of energy, and feeling on the verge of tears, again as a result of stress.

It was found that work and money were identified by the respondents as the foremost inducers of stress, with 74 percent and 73 percent respectively.

Workload and children came a close second at 66 and 64 percent, followed by health concerns (55 percent) and health problems affecting a spouse, partner or children (55 percent).

Housing costs and intimate relationships were found at the bottom of the scale, although they nevertheless garnered a significant amount of votes with 51 percent and 47 percent.

Stress also affected sleep with 48 percent saying that they had lost 21 hours of sleep during the last 30 days; while 43 percent of Americans overate and indulged in unhealthy foods due to stress.

As many as 60 percent of the respondents said they would change their lifestyle if it made them feel better, while 38 percent said they would change if their spouse or partner recommended it; 70 percent thought a mental health professional could help them.

The research is published by the American Psychological Association.