Poll: Work, Money, Housing Stressing Americans

Are you feeling more stressed and agitated than ever before lately? You're not alone, according to a new poll taken by the American Psychological Association (APA).

An APA poll of more than 1,800 adults in the U.S. found that one-third of Americans are living with extreme stress and that nearly half (48 percent) say their stress levels have increased over the last five years. Money and work top the list of stressors leaving people irritable, sleepless or unwell, and the current housing market meltdown is contributing to the problem. Just over half (51 percent) of respondents said rent and mortgage expenses have been a source of psychological stress this year.

The APA's "Stress in America" survey found that 54 percent of Americans say stress has created conflicts between them and others close to them. One out of four say stress has even caused them to become alienated from a family member or friend, while 8 percent report that stress has led to a separation or divorce.

"Stress in America continues to escalate and is affecting every aspect of people's lives - from work to personal relationships to sleep patterns and eating habits, as well as their health," said Russ Newman, a psychologist and APA's executive director for professional practice. "We know that stress is a fact of life and some stress can have a positive impact, however, the high stress levels that many Americans report experiencing can have long-term health consequences, ranging from fatigue to obesity and heart disease."

Among the stress-related health effects people reported in the poll are physical problems (77 percent), including fatigue (51 percent), headaches (44 percent), upset stomach (34 percent), changes in appetite (23 percent) and changes in sex drive (15 percent). Of the 73 percent saying they felt psychological fallout from stress, the problems included irritability or anger (50 percent), sleeplessness (48 percent), feelings of nervousness or lack of energy (45 percent each) and wanting to cry (35 percent).

Feelings of stress can create far greater harm when people don't deal well with their problems, according to the APA. Negative behaviors driven by stress include overeating or eating unhealthy foods (43 percent), watching more than two hours of TV a day (43 percent), drinking alcohol (39 percent), playing video games or surfing the Web (39 percent), skipping meals (36 percent) or smoking (19 percent). The APA said it's healthier to manage stress by listening to music, reading, exercising, walking, spending time with family and friends or praying.

While stress can hurt a person's health or mental well-being, not everyone feeling stress is motivated to change, the ARPA said. Reasons that encourage people to change how they manage stress include a desire to feel better (60 percent), a simple need to reduce stress (45 percent), a desire to improve self-esteem or self-image (41 percent) and encouragement from a spouse or partner (38 percent). Fewer people (35 percent) said they would be motivated by being diagnosed with a chronic, stress-related condition.

The APA's Stress in America survey was conducted by Harris Interactive between Aug. 30 and Sept. 11 of this year. The poll questioned 1,848 adults ages 18 and over, and adjusted results to account for proportional differences in age, sex, race/ethnicity, education and other factors.

The survey was part of APA's Mind/Body Health Public Education Campaign (http://www.apahelpcenter.org).

American Psychological Association, "Stress a Major Health Problem in the U.S., Warns APA." URL: (http://www.apa.org/releases/stressproblem.html)