Given the pace of our lives today, stress is pervasive and unavoidable. While some stress can make the world feel more exciting, we psychologists understand the toll that prolonged stress can take on our physical and mental health. That’s why APA has made the issue of stress central to our public education efforts.
APA first commissioned a nationwide public opinion poll on stress in 2007. A year later, we trademarked the name “Stress in America” and began working with Harris Interactive to conduct an annual online survey that adheres to the highest standards of public opinion research. The survey compiles data on Americans’ leading sources of stress, its impact and the most common ways we manage that stress.
As in previous years, the 2018 survey explored key measures related to stress levels, sources of stress, stress management tools and symptoms experienced as a result of stress. It also aimed to uncover the specific causes of Americans’ stress as it relates to our nation’s turbulent political environment. In addition, the 2018 survey explored pressures on Generation Z (ages 15 to 21), including gun violence, alcohol and other drug addiction. (A full report will appear in the January Monitor.)
In the 12 years that APA has conducted this poll, some stressors have been constant, such as concerns about money, work and health. We have found that American youth are just as stressed as U.S. adults. In recent years, violence and concern for personal safety have emerged as factors that increase our stress levels. We’ve also found that a significant proportion of Americans experience stress from being discriminated against, including by being unfairly questioned or threatened by police, being fired or passed over for promotion, or treated unfairly when receiving health care. As we have delved into these factors, APA has also provided resources to the public to help them identify stressors, cope and get help, because naming the problem is just the first step toward solving it.
Our "Stress in America" campaign is just one of thousands of ways APA educates the public about psychology through media coverage—one of APA’s most important activities. By drawing attention to the contribution of stress and unhealthy behaviors to chronic illnesses, APA promotes the health of the nation, as well as the value of psychologists in researching and treating health problems.
