Money and work-related issues are the main causes of stress for Britons, with 47% of people feeling stressed every day, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted as part of the Mental Health Foundation’s January initiative to raise awareness of stress, found that 59% of British adults believe their life is more stressful that it was 5 years ago.
Money (26%) and work-related issues (28%) were given as the main cause of stress, reflecting recent Health and Safety Executive figures which indicated a rise in sick days due to work-related stress.
The effects of stress are having a direct impact on people’s day-to-day life, the survey found. Almost half of respondents (49%) reported finding it more difficult to sleep, and the same percentage said they felt short-tempered and irritable. Meanwhile, 40% reported feeling tired all the time and 39% said they found it hard to switch off.
Meanwhile, the most popular way of dealing with stress was spending time alone (41%), followed closely by talking to partners, family and friends about it (40%) and spending time enjoying their favourite hobbies (39%).
Worryingly, 18% found drinking alcohol and 10% found smoking helpful while only 6% would consider visiting a GP or a medical professional for their stress-related issues. Turning to smoking and alcohol can actually make mental and physical problems worse.
Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “The impact of current economic problems has put a lot of people under pressure due to the fear, or reality, of unemployment, insecure housing and high levels of debt and these results are not surprising. Unmanaged, stress can develop into serious mental health problems, such as depression, as well as increasing the risk of physical illness such as heart disease.
“The results of our survey suggest that too many of us still aren’t making managing stress a priority. It’s important to recognise the symptoms of stress early. Recognising the signs and symptoms of stress will help you figure out ways of coping and save you from adopting unhealthy coping methods, such as drinking or smoking.
“We are also calling for the Government to offer more practical help for people to manage their stress better. The introduction of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme was a great step forward, but more needs to be done as only a quarter of those who need treatment are getting it.
“In addition, admitting people to hospital for stress is usually an expensive solution to a problem that should have been solved earlier in a primary care or workplace setting. We must invest in less costly, more effective early intervention services for people experiencing such stress instead of waiting for people’s distress and symptoms to require a hospital admission.”
