Since 2007, the American Psychological Association has been conduction an annual nationwide survey called Stress in America, measuring prevalence, causes, effects and implications of stress in the general public. The findings confirm continuing high levels of stress across almost every subset measured, and points to particular areas of concern.
The 2011 survey highlights the impact of stress on caregivers, and also the links between stress and obesity and depression. For employers, this emphasizes the importance of helping employees manage stress in order to address issues ranging from employee productivity to rising medical costs. With work as the second leading cause of stress (70% of respondents), employers have an opportunity to intervene and mitigate some of that stress through a variety of tools and resources. This starts with the EAP for individuals, but we can also provide assistance with organization-wide initiatives around stress reduction, resiliency training, and techniques to address and resolve conflict (which the report notes is both a cause and effect of stress), to name a few.
As noted by Dr. Norman Anderson, APA's CEO, "America has a choice. We can continue down a well-worn path where stress significantly impacts our physical and mental health, causes undue suffering and drives up health care costs. Or we can get serious about this major public health issue and provide better access to behavioral health care services to help people more effectively manage their stress and prevent and manage chronic disease. Various studies have shown that chronic stress is a major driver of chronic illness, which in turn is a major driver of escalating health care costs in this country. It is critical that the entire health community and policymakers recognize the role of stress and unhealthy behaviors in causing and exacerbating chronic health conditions, and support models of care that help people make positive changes."
To learn more about and get access to the study, visit www.stressinamerica.org.
Pathways to Well Being Call VITAL WorkLife at 800.383.1908
