It’s a Fact – Study Finds Financial Worries Contributing to Stress Among Americans

By Lisa Anderson

RISMEDIA, Oct. 9, 2008-(MCT)-With Wall Street reeling, home prices dropping and job losses looming, if there was any doubt that the country increasingly is financially stressed-out the American Psychological Association laid it to rest Tuesday.

Eight out of 10 Americans surveyed in September cited money (81%) and the economy (80%) as their top sources of stress, compared with 75% and 66%, respectively, in April, according to the association’s newly released 2008 Stress in America survey.

Reflecting the deteriorating economic landscape, more than half of Americans reported greater stress last month over work (67%), providing for their families (64%), housing costs (62%) and job stability (56%) than they did in April.

The most stressed out Americans are women. The survey found women were more stressed than men over money (83% vs. 78%), the economy (84% vs. 75%), job stability (57% vs. 55%), housing costs (66% vs. 58%) and family health problems (70% vs. 63%).

And women also were substantially more likely than men to report experiencing physical and psychological symptoms of stress, such as headaches (56% vs. 36% of men), depression or sadness (56% vs. 39%) and nervousness or anxiety (55% vs. 43%).

The 2008 survey data was collected by Harris Interactive for the APA during the periods of April 7-15 among 2,529 U.S. residents 18 years old or over, June 23-August 13 (1,791 adults) and September 19-23 (2,507 adults).