Work, money leading cause of Americans' stress

Work, money leading cause of Americans' stress | Fox News:



Work, money and the economy are the biggest cause of Americans' stress, according to research recently released by the American Psychological Association (APA). And, the majority of Americans don't seem to realize how big an impact it's having on their overall physical and psychological health.

The good news is that the percentage of Americans who report feeling extreme stress dropped, from 32 percent to 22 percent since 2007, when the APA conducted its first Stress in America survey. On a scale of 1 to 10, the mean rating for stress in 2011 fell to 5.2, the lowest level in five years (it was 5.4 in 2009 and 2010; 5.9 in 2008; and 6.2 in 2007). Extreme stress was likely highest in 2007 because that was the start of the economic downturn, the researchers suggest.

The bad news from APA's latest data is noteworthy: A significant number of respondents reported that stress has only a slight or no impact on their physical health (31 percent) or on their mental health (36 percent). That's true even though stress is a proven precursor of many chronic conditions, such as depression and cardiovascular disease, and often makes existing illnesses worse, said APA CEO Norman B. Anderson.