Poll: Stress harms Americans' daily function

Stressed-out Americans are struggling with multiple external issues that are out of their personal control, with a quarter reporting that most days they are so stressed that they "cannot function", a poll for the American Psychological Association (APA) found.

Stress has become "too much" lately, said a 39-year-old single mother of a 6-year-old from Queens, New York, who preferred not to be named. She said several things have heightened her stress, including her own health issues, rising food costs, caring for her daughter, credit card debt and the future.

"I feel a lot more anxious lately," she told China Daily. "Some of it is personal. I have an operation to remove fibroids next month. I've got a kid to feed, and with everything being so expensive in stores ,it's just harder because I have lots of credit card debt. Nothing feels good. I worry all the time especially about my kid's future."

Many adults surveyed in a Harris Poll for APA said stress is affecting their health. Seventy-six percent of adults admitted that they had experienced at least one symptom as a result of stress in the past month, such as a headache, feeling nervous, anxiety, depression or sadness.

While at least 83 percent blamed inflation for heightened worry, 75 percent said violence and crime were an issue; 66 percent said the current political climate was stressful; and 62 percent said that the racial climate was stressful.

"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 Dr Arthur Evans, APA's CEO, in a statement.

"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.

Politics is also aggravating Americans, with 70 percent of those surveyed saying they don't think that the government cares about them, and 64 percent saying that they feel as though their rights are under attack. Half said that they don't feel protected by US laws.

The survey showed that stress has a different impact on people depending on their gender, age group and ethnicity. Women aged 18 to 34 were more likely to report that most days their stress was "completely overwhelming'' compared to women aged 35 to 44.

Among different groups, 75 percent of black adults said that the racial climate in the US was a significant source of stress, compared with 70 percent of Latino adults, 69 percent of Asian adults and 56 percent of white adults.

On Sept 20, the US Preventive Services Task Force made draft recommendations for the first time that adults under age 65 in the US get screened by doctors for anxiety if they show no signs or symptoms of it.

"Stress, isolation and changes in routine all affect mental health," Dr Lori Pbert, professor in the Population and Quantitative Health Sciences department at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and chair of the task force. told China Daily.

"And that's why it's so important that people continue to see their primary care clinician for preventive care, and make sure that they're sharing any concerns they have about their mental health with their primary care clinician," she said.

Three-quarters of adults — 76 percent — said that the future of the country is a significant source of stress in their lives, with well over half believing that this is the "lowest point in our nation's history that they can remember''. A third had considered moving to a different country.

In the past month, 7 in 10 adults reported that they had felt so overwhelmed they had experienced changes in sleeping habits and were worrying constantly, the poll revealed.

Pbert said: "Anyone who's showing signs or symptoms or experiencing symptoms [of anxiety] should be assessed and connected to appropriate care."