Less Stress in DC, But Stress-Linked Health Problems Increase

More than 40 percent of Washington, D.C.-area residents losing sleep or overeating because of stress, APA survey says

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Nov 09, 2010, 12:30 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Money, work and the economy are reported as significant causes of stress for residents of the Washington, D.C. area, even though many report slightly lower levels of stress in 2010 than in 2009, according to a survey released today by the American Psychological Association (APA) and conducted online by Harris Interactive in August 2010. But while residents report feeling less stress, the number of residents reporting chronic health problems increased this year, and nearly a quarter say they don't have time to make the recommended lifestyle changes to improve their health.

Technology cannot be blamed for any stress that D.C.-area residents do report. According to the APA survey, only 23 percent agree that being connected via mobile devices makes them feel stressed or overwhelmed.

While news reports indicate that the nation's economy is improving, more residents this year in the D.C.-area say that the economy is a significant cause of stress (67 percent in 2010 from 56 percent in 2009). More residents in 2010 also cite money: 72 percent in 2010 vs. 60 percent in 2009. The percentage of D.C.-area adults reporting increased stress over the past five years continues to decline from 53 percent in 2008 to 47 percent in 2009 to 40 percent this year. And most D.C.-area residents (62 percent) say they are doing enough to manage their stress, a greater percentage than the rest of the country (55 percent).

Survey numbers show that more D.C.-area residents in 2010 than in 2009 are reporting serious health diagnoses, such as high cholesterol (36 percent), high blood pressure (35 percent) and type 2 diabetes (13 percent). More than 40 percent of adults have been told by a healthcare provider that they need to exercise more (45 percent) or lose weight (41 percent). While significantly fewer adults this year say that stress gets in the way of making recommended lifestyle changes (7 percent in 2010 vs. 21 percent in 2009), lack of time is cited by 23 percent of residents.

D.C.-area residents are just as likely as Americans nationwide to report physical symptoms due to stress. During the last month, 44 percent of D.C.-area residents report lying awake at night because of stress. And 42 percent of D.C.-area residents report overeating or eating unhealthy foods because of stress, similar to 40 percent of Americans.

"It's good news to see that fewer people in the region are reporting such high levels of stress, especially since we know there is a strong connection between chronic stress and serious health problems, " said D.C.-area psychologist Dr. Mary Alvord, the public education coordinator for the Maryland Psychological Association. "But it's also alarming that more people have health problems and that they struggle with adopting the necessary lifestyle changes that can improve their health."

At a national level, the annual Stress in America survey shows that Americans appear to be caught in a vicious cycle where they manage stress in unhealthy ways, and lack of willpower and time constraints impede their ability to make lifestyle or behavioral changes. In general, Americans recognize that their stress levels remain high and exceed what they consider to be healthy.

The national survey also found that while reported stress levels across the nation remain similar to last year, fewer adults report being satisfied with the ways that their employer helps employees balance work and personal life demands, and in general, concern about job stability is on the rise.

To read the full report on Washington, D.C. and the United States, visit www.stressinamerica.org.

Stress in America is part of APA's Mind/Body Health public education campaign. For additional information on stress and lifestyle and behavior, visit www.apa.org/helpcenter and read the campaign blog www.yourmindyourbody.org. Join the conversation about stress on Twitter by following @apahelpcenter and #stressAPA. Get your questions answered on November 10 at 2:00 p.m. EST for a live chat with psychologists at www.facebook.com/americanpsychologicalassociation.

Methodology

The Stress in America Survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Psychological Association between August 3 and 27, 2010, of 1,134 adults aged 18+ who reside in the U.S. In addition, an oversample of 212 adults living in the Washington, D.C. MSA was collected. MSAs are a formal definition of metropolitan areas produced by OMB (Office of Management and Budget). These geographic areas are delineated on the basis of central urbanized areas —contiguous counties of relatively high population density. Counties containing the core urbanized area are known as the central counties of the MSA. Additional surrounding counties (known as outlying counties) can be included in the MSA if these counties have strong social and economic ties to the central counties as measured by commuting and employment. Note that some areas within these outlying counties may actually be rural in nature. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. To read the full methodology, visit www.stressinamerica.org.

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

SOURCE American Psychological Association