Who’s the most stressed out generation? The answer given by a recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association might surprise you.
‘Stress in America’ researchers found that Americans ages 18-33 reported an average stress level of 5.4, placing them unquestionably above the national average of 4.9. Over half of the group even expressed that their stress often leaves them unable to sleep at night.
What’s to blame for the level of anxiety felt by most of this country’s millennials? Most surveyed cited work and job stability as reasons for their stress.
We live in a completely different reality than earlier times. One marked by sharply less job opportunities and lower wages. Most young people face this situation with a mountain of student debt. Many are either unemployed or underemployed, a situation that continues to swell with very little sign of an end in sight.
For many young people, the outcome of stress has become irritability and anger. The survey showed that millennials experience these emotions to a much greater degree than their older counterparts. They have even been more frequently diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Those who reported having been diagnosed expressed they felt their healthcare providers did a poor job of providing adequate support and assistance.
Perhaps the most positive piece of information that comes from this survey is that more people find ways to relieve stress that don’t involve drinking and smoking. Those surveyed cited exercise, music, reading, and the company of family and friends as ways to cope. Another positive point of the study finds that many millennials are yet and still optimistic about their future.
Young people more than older ones report great confidence that their condition is improving. Perhaps it is this belief that will get them by. It’s a single silver lining, much needed, until our reality changes for the better.
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