Stress Statistics

Looking for some insight into the numbers?

Whether you’re stressed-out and looking for a way out, or simply curious about how stress may be affecting your life, you’re not alone …

• Two thirds of Americans say they are likely to seek help for stress. (APA Survey 2004)
• Fifty-four percent of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives. (APA Survey 2004)

Having trouble coping with job stress? Check out these workplace-related stress statistics:

• 62% of Americans say work has a significant impact on stress levels. (APA Survey 2004)
• A majority of workers (52%) are more stressed because of work than home. (APA Survey 2004)
• 54% of workers are concerned about health problems caused by stress. (APA Survey 2004)
• 45% of workers list job insecurity has a significant impact on work stress levels. (APA Survey 2004)
• 61% of workers list heavy workloads as a significant impact on work stress levels. (APA Survey 2004)
• Executives and managers tend to have the most stressful jobs, while self-employed workers are the least stressed. (APA Survey 2004)
• One in four workers have taken a mental health day off from work to cope with stress. (APA Survey 2004)
• 73% of Americans name money as the number one factor that affects their stress level. (APA Survey 2004)

What about the relationship between stress and depression? These depression-related stress statistics will give you some idea of how widespread the problem of depression really is:

• An estimated 121 million people world-wide currently suffer from depression. (World Health Organization)
• Eight to 20 percent of older adults experience symptoms of depression. (Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health 1999)
• Depression often co-occurs with anxiety disorders and substance abuse. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Approximately six million American men suffer from depression. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Nearly twice as many American women as men are affected by depression. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Approximately 18.8 million American adults have depression. (National Institutes of Mental Health)

On the other side of the coin, what about anxiety and panic attacks? These stress statistics are indicative of the relationship between stress, anxiety, and depression:

• Women are more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders, eating disorders, or substance abuse. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• More than 19 million American adults have an anxiety disorder. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Panic Disorder is a serious condition that around one out of every 75 people might experience. (APA, Anxiety Disorders: The Role of Psychotherapy in Effective Treatment, 1998)
• About one in three people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Panic disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Approximately 2.4 million American adults have panic disorder. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Only 1 out of 4 people with panic disorder receive treatment. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Approximately 1 out of 75 people may experience panic disorder. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
• Twice as many women suffer panic disorder than men. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1999)
• Roughly 50-60% of those who suffer from panic disorder also suffer from a major depressive disorder. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1999)
• Panic disorder is diagnosed when a person suffers at least two unexpected panic attacks and seriously worries about having future attacks or changes their behavior to avoid or minimize future attacks (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1999
• Roughly 10% of healthy people experience an isolated panic attack in a given year. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1999)
• Most panic attacks last less than 30 minutes (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1999)

So, what can we learn from all of these stress statistics?

First, that stress is a genuine health issue that affects a tremendous amount of people.

Second, that stress is the root cause of anxiety and depression, as indicated by the fact that suffering from one makes it far more likely that you will suffer from the other.

Third, women are more likely than men to suffer from anxiety and depression - all the more reason for the ladies to focus on HARDCORE Stress Management™

Want more insight into how these stress statistics illustrate the relationship between stress, anxiety, and depression?