dealing with stress - aarp · common effects of stress: less sleep, poor nutrition, changes in...
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AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2019 AARP ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DOI: AARP RESEARCH
December 2019
https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00321.001
Dealing With Stress
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Executive Summary 3
Detailed Results 6
Methodology 18
Contact 22
Table of Contents
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Executive Summary
Among adults 18 and older, not surprisingly, the amount of stress one feels under varies greatly by
individual. While one in six respondents say they currently feel under a great deal of stress, one-quarter
report not being stressed at all. Finances top the list of stressors, noted by four in ten respondents.
Additionally, the current political climate, one’s workplace or work colleagues, and health issues of friends
and family affect about one-third of adults ages 18 and older. The most common effects of stress are an
inability to sleep at night, eating too much or in an unhealthy manner, and changing one’s exercise or
physical activity routine.
As for ways of coping with stress due to the current political climate, the largest proportion of
respondents—four in ten—say they don’t employ any of the five coping strategies about which they were
asked: avoiding political discussions, not keeping up with the news, unfriending someone due to their
political views, spending time in politics-free zones, or having a no social media rule at some time during
the day. However, one-third say they avoid political discussions altogether.
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Executive Summary (cont.)
Younger respondents appear to be under more stress than their older counterparts. For example,
four in ten respondents ages 18–34 report feeling more stress than three years ago, compared with three
in ten respondents ages 50–64, and one-quarter of those ages 65 and older. In general, respondents
younger than 65 years of age are more likely than those 65 and older to report feeling stressed by their
finances, work, and family responsibilities. In contrast, respondents 65 and older are more likely than their
youngest counterparts to feel stressed by the current political climate and their health.
Further, respondents who are younger than than 65 years of age are more likely to report experiencing
common effects of stress: less sleep, poor nutrition, changes in physical activity, sick days from work, and
drinking too much. Respondents ages 18–34 and 65 and older are more likely than those ages 35–64 to
say that they do not keep up with the news because of the current political climate. Additionally, those
ages 18–34 are the most likely to report having “unfriended” someone because of their political views.
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DETAILED RESULTS
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While respondents report varying levels of stress, about a third say they
feel more stressed now than they did three years ago.
One in six respondents say they currently feel under a
great deal of stress, while about one-quarter report
not being stressed at all.
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Q1. I’d like to get a sense of how much stress you are currently under. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “not at all stressed” and 5 being under “a great deal of stress,” please tell me know much
stress you feel under now [n=1,003]; Q2. Compared to three years ago, would you say you are under more stress, less stress, or about the same amount of stress? [n=1,003]
Additionally, nearly four in ten respondents say they are
under about the same amount of stress as they
were three years ago.
24%
18%
25%
16% 16%
Not at allstressed (1)
2 3 4 A great deal ofstress (5)
Current level of stress
27%
38%34%
Less stress About the same amount ofstress
More stress
Level of stress compared to three years ago
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Women report feeling more stress than men and are more likely to
say they feel more stressed now than they did three years ago.
While about the same percentage of men and women
say they feel a great deal of stress, men are more
likely to say they are not at all stressed.
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Q1. I’d like to get a sense of how much stress you are currently under. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “not at all stressed” and 5 being under “a great deal of stress,” please tell me know much
stress you feel under now [n=1,003]; Q2. Compared to three years ago, would you say you are under more stress, less stress, or about the same amount of stress? [n=1,003]
Nearly four in ten women say they feel more stress
than they did three years ago, compared to three in
ten men who say the same.
Men(n=487)
46%
22%
32%
Women(n=516)
38%
28%
33%
Not at all stressed(1 and 2)
3
A great deal of stress(4 and 5)
Current level of stress
Men(n=487)
29%
41%
30%
Women(n=516)
26%
35%
38%
Less stress
About the sameamount of stress
More stress
Level of stress compared to three years ago
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Compared to younger respondents, those ages 50 and older are more
likely to report not feeling stressed at all.
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• Nearly half of adults ages 50 older
(50–64 and 65+) say they are not at
all stressed, compared to fewer than
four in ten adults ages 18–49 (18–34
and 35–49).
• However, more than one-third of
adults ages 18–34, 35–49, and 65 or
older say they are experiencing a
great deal of stress. Fewer than
three in ten adults ages 50–64, on the
other hand, are less likely to report
having a great deal of stress.
Q1. I’d like to get a sense of how much stress you are currently under. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “not at all stressed” and 5 being under “a great deal of stress,” please tell me know much
stress you feel under now [n=1,003]; Q2. Compared to three years ago, would you say you are under more stress, less stress, or about the same amount of stress? [n=1,003]
39%
34%
49%
47%
26%
32%
24%
17%
35%
34%
27%
34%
18–34 (n=283)
35–49 (n=256)
50–64 (n=241)
65+ (n=223)
Not at all stressed (1 and 2) 3 A great deal of stress (4 and 5)
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Respondents ages 50 and younger are more likely to say they feel
more stress than three years ago when compared to those 50 or older.
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• Four in ten respondents ages 18–34
report feeling more stress than they
did three years ago. Only three in
ten respondents ages 50–64 and a
quarter of those ages 65 and older
report the same feeling.
• Half of those ages 65 and older report
having about the same amount of
stress compared to three years
ago.
Q2. Compared to three years ago, would you say you are under more stress, less stress, or about the same amount of stress? [n=1,003]
26%
30%
30%
24%
35%
30%
41%
50%
40%
39%
30%
26%
18–34 (n=283)
35–49 (n=256)
50–64 (n=241)
65+ (n=223)
Less stress About the same amount of stress More stress
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Finances are the most commonly cited source of stress, with more
than four in ten respondents citing them as a cause.
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• Meanwhile, roughly one-third of
respondents note feeling stress due
to the current political climate, their
workplace or coworkers, and health
problems affecting their family and
friends.
• Women are more likely than men to
be stressed by their finances and the
health of their friends and family.
Q3. Below is a list of things people say cause stress in their lives. For each one, please note whether or not you are currently experiencing stress because of it [n=1,003].
25%
25%
26%
33%
35%
36%
42%
Family responsibilities(such as child care, caregiving, etc.)
My relationships with friends and family
My health
Health problems affecting my family and friends
My work
The current political climate
My finances
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Adults ages 18–34 cite finances, work, and relationships with friends
and family as the top stressors.
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In general, respondents ages 64 and younger are more likely than older respondents to report feeling stressed by their
finances, work, and relationships with friends and family. In contrast, respondents 65 and older are more likely than
their younger counterparts to feel stressed by the current political climate and their health.
Q3. Below is a list of things people say cause stress in their lives. For each one, please note whether or not you are currently experiencing stress because of it [n=1,003].
18–34 (n=283)
49%
48%
33%
31%
29%
22%
21%
35–49 (n=256)
50%
46%
26%
35%
34%
37%
21%
50–64 (n=241)
26%
43%
20%
35%
34%
20%
29%
65+ (n=223)
10%
29%
17%
44%
35%
21%
35%
My work
My finances
Relationships with friends/family
Current political climate
Health problems affecting family/friends
Family responsibilities
My health
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The most commonly reported effect of feeling stressed is lying awake at
night.
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• Four in ten respondents report lying
awake at night because they were
feeling stressed.
• About one-third say they ate too
much or ate unhealthy foods or
changed their exercise or physical
activity routine due to stress.
Q4. Below is a list of things that may have happened to you because you were feeling stressed. For each one, please note whether or not you have experienced it in the past month [n=1,003].
12%
13%
14%
26%
31%
32%
41%
Had too much to drink
Opted to take a sick day from work
Visited a doctor or other medical professional
Skipped a meal
Increased or decreased exercise/physical activity
Ate too much or ate unhealthy foods
Lie awake at night
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Women who are stressed are more likely to experience poor sleep or
poor nutritional habits than men.
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• Specifically, women are more likely
than men to say they have lain awake
at night, eaten too much or eaten
unhealthy foods, or skipped a meal
because they were feeling stressed.
In addition, they are more likely to
have visited a doctor or other medical
professional because of stress.
• Men who are stressed, on the other
hand, are more likely to report having
too much to drink due to stress.
Q4. Below is a list of things that may have happened to you because you were feeling stressed. For each one, please note whether or not you have experienced it in the past month [n=1,003].
Men
36%
28%
31%
22%
12%
13%
14%
Women
46%
36%
30%
30%
16%
13%
10%
Lay awake at night
Ate too much or ate unhealthy foods
Increased or decreased exercise/physical activity
Skipped a meal
Visited a doctor or other medical professional
Opted to take a sick day from work
Had too much to drink
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In general, younger adults, particularly those 18–34, are more likely to
report experiencing a variety of effects due to stress.
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Respondents less than 65 years of age are more likely than those ages 65 or older to experience things like less sleep,
poor nutrition, changes in physical activity, sick days from work, and drinking too much due to stress.
Q4. Below is a list of things that may have happened to you because you were feeling stressed. For each one, please note whether or not you have experienced it in the past month [n=1,003].
18–34 (n=283)
45%
43%
39%
37%
19%
17%
11%
35–49 (n=256)
33%
32%
32%
40%
19%
17%
15%
50–64 (n=241)
27%
38%
20%
25%
10%
7%
16%
65+ (n=223)
21%
29%
11%
18%
2%
4%
14%
Ate too much or unhealthy foods
Lie awake
Skipped a meal
Increased/decreased exercise
Opted to take a sick day
Had too much to drink
Visited a doctor
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Among the strategies mentioned, the most commonly used for coping
with stress around politics is avoiding political discussions.
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• However, nearly four in ten
respondents who say they are
experiencing stress due to the current
political climate don’t do any of the
five coping strategies they were
asked about.
• Men are more likely than women to
say that they don’t do any of these
things.
Q5. You noted above that you are experiencing stress due to the current political climate. Which of the following things have you done to cope with your stress about politics? [n=361].
5%
16%
17%
21%
36%
38%
I have a rule about no social media(e.g., after 8 pm every day)
I have been spending time with friends and family in politics-free zones
I have "unfriended" someone becauseof their political views
I do not keep up with the news
I avoid discussions about politics
I don't do any of these things
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Adults 18–34 are the most likely to cope with stress around politics by
ditching the news and "unfriending" someone.
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Respondents ages 18–34 and 65 and older are more likely than those ages 35–64 to say that, due to the current
political climate, they do not keep up with the news. Additionally, those ages 18–34 are the most likely to report having
“unfriended” someone because of their political views.
Q5. You noted above that you are experiencing stress due to the current political climate. Which of the following things have you done to cope with your stress about politics? [n=361].
Don’t keep up with the news
32%
14%
14%
23%
“Unfriended” someone due to their political views
29%
12%
15%
9%
18–34
35–49
50–64
65+
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METHODOLOGY
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Background
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In November 2018, AARP Research contracted with AUS-SSRS to field a phone survey among U.S. adults ages 18
and older to learn more about how they are dealing with daily stress. In the survey, respondents were asked how much
stress they were feeling and whether today’s level of stress was more, less, or about the same as they were feeling
three years ago. Additionally, they were asked about a series of items that might be inducing stress (such as their
finances, their health, or their relationships with friends and family) and about common effects of stress on their daily
lives (such as not eating well, not exercising, or not getting enough sleep). Given that we were particularly interested in
the effect of the current political climate on individuals’ feelings of stress, those respondents who reported such stress
were asked about the coping mechanisms they might be using to deal with it.
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Objectives and Methodology
Objective: To learn more about how adults in the U.S. are
dealing with stress.
Methodology: Phone, nationally representative survey via
SSRS’s telephone omnibus among U.S. adults ages 18 and
older.
Sample: Sample of U.S. adults ages 18 and older drawn from
SSRS Telephone Omnibus, n=1,003.
Interviewing Dates: November 27–December 2, 2018
Language: Interviews conducted in English and Spanish
Weighting: Each SSRS Omnibus insert is weighted to
provide nationally representative and projectable estimates of
the adult population ages 18 and older.
Questionnaire length: 4 minutes (median).
Confidence Interval: Total sample: ± 3.5%. The margin of
error among subgroups is higher.
Note: Some percentages may not equal 100% due to
rounding.
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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to
choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most
to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in
the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry
the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation
publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and
@AARPadvocates on social media.
AUS Marketing Research Systems, Inc. conducted this survey for AARP using its SSRS telephone omnibus. The author
would like to thank the AUS-SSRS team of Jordan Peugh and Suzanne McLaughlin for their assistance in fielding the
survey. This report was prepared by Teresa A. Keenan, Ph.D., in AARP Research. For more information about the
survey, contact her at [email protected].
Acknowledgements
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Teresa A. Keenan, AARP Research
For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]
This research was designed and executed by AARP Research
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