Article archive / November 2022
Originally published: . Volume 13, No. 11. Source pages: 1, 3.
APA's "Stress in America" Researchers Find Dissatisfaction, Stress
In their annual "Stress in America" survey, the American Psychological Association' (APA) has found deep dissatisfaction and stress related to the state of the country and the government.
According to the APA press release, the researchers found that 70% of adults do not think people in the government care about them and 64% said they felt their rights are under attack.
Almost half of adults (45%) said they do not feel protected by the laws in the United States and more than a third (38%) said the state of the nation has made them consider moving to a different country, said APA.
More than three-quarters (76%) said that the future of our nation is a significant source of stress in their lives, while 68% said this is the lowest point in our nation’s history that they can remember.
A significant majority noted stress from inflation (83%), violence and crime (75%), the current political climate (66%), and the racial climate (62%) as major sources of stress.
A total of 27% reporting that most days they are so stressed they cannot function. The nationwide survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of APA.
Seventy-five percent of Black adults pointed to the racial climate in the U.S. as a significant source of stress, while 70% of Latino/a adults, 69% of Asian adults and 56% of white adults reported the same, said the researchers.
"Furthermore, Latinas were most likely, among racial/ethnic groups, to cite significant sources of stress related to violence, including violence and crime (89% Latinas; 80% Black women; 79% Asian women; 77% Latinos; 75% Black men; 73% white women; 72% white men; 70% Asian men), mass shootings (89% Latinas; 78% Latinos; 77% Black women; 77% Asian women; 73% white women; 71% Black men; 67% Asian men; 66% white men) and gun violence (87% Latinas; 83% Black women; 77% Asian women; 76% Latinos; 75% Black men; 69% white women; 68% white men; 63% Asian men).
"Adults reported that stress has had an impact on their health; 76% of adults reported they had experienced at least one symptom in the last month as a result of stress—such as headache (38%), fatigue (35%), feeling nervous or anxious (34%) and feeling depressed or sad (33%). Seven in 10 adults (72%) experienced additional symptoms in the last month, including feeling overwhelmed (33%), experiencing changes in sleeping habits (32%), and/or worrying constantly (30%).
"Various disparities in stressors emerged among population subgroups. For example, 72% of the members of the LGBTQIA+ community reported feeling as if their rights are under attack, which is a higher proportion than non-LGBTQIA+ adults (64%). Younger adult women (ages 18 to 34) were more likely to report that most days their stress is completely overwhelming, in comparison with older women (62% vs. 48% 35–44; 27% 45–64; 9% 65+) and men ages 35 or older (62% vs. 48% 35–44; 21% 45– 64; 8% 65+)," noted the report.
“It’s clear that the impacts of uncontrollable stressors are profound for most Americans, but psychological science shows us that there are effective ways to talk about and cope with this type of stress,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer. “Focusing on accomplishing goals that are in our control can help prevent our minds from getting overwhelmed by the many uncertainties in life. From using our breathing to slow racing thoughts, to intentionally limiting our social media consumption, or exercising our right to vote, action can be extremely empowering," he said. "With so many people suffering health effects from these unrelenting external stressors, it’s important that all health care providers understand the research and offer their patients evidence-based techniques to reduce the effects of extreme stress and build their resilience,” said Evans.
The 2022 Stress in AmericaTM survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the APA between Aug. 18 and Sept. 2, 2022, and included 3,192 adults age 18+ who reside in the U.S. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish, according to APA.
Data are weighted where necessary to reflect their proportions in the population based on the 2021 Current Population Survey (CPS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. Weighting variables included age by gender, race/ethnicity, education, region, household income and time spent online, said APA.
More information on the survey findings and how to handle stress related to uncertainty is available from APA at www.stressinamerica.org (http://www.stressinamerica.org).
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