Stress in America: 5 unnerving new facts

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A new national survey highlights the anxieties of overwhelmed parents, jumpy kids, and insecure Southern Californians

posted on November 15, 2010, at 3:23 PM


theweek.com - It may not come as a big surprise, but Americans are feeling stressed out. How bad is it? A nationwide poll conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture. Just over half of Americans say they are living with "moderate" stress, and 24 percent admit to feeling "severely" stressed. The survey, conducted in August by Harris Interactive, breaks down the results into several subcategories. Here are some key findings:

1. It's all about the money
Money tops the list of stress sources (76 percent of respondents identified it as a problem), followed by work (70 percent) and the economy (65 percent). "So basically, it all comes down to moolah," says Brad Tuttle in Time. And we're not dealing too well with the fallout. "We're cranky, we're tired, our diets are bad, and we're not taking care of ourselves physically or mentally." If that description reminds you of "parents taking care of a newborn," it's an apt parallel: 8 out of 10 parents say they are stressed about money.

2. Kids feel their parents' stress
Most parents