Regardless of how you try to avoid it, stress has a way to crawl up on you unexpectedly. Considering its ever-present and often hidden nature, it is everywhere in the modern world. It affects people of all ages and can be extremely damaging to a person’s mental and physical health.
In this list of terrifying stress statistics and facts, you will gain insight into how people experience stress, what causes stress, and how to deal with stress. We look at general facts related to stress, college stress, teenage stress, and workplace stress. Finally, we look at ways to deal with stress, with a focus on supplements and natural remedies.
Right, let’s jump into these statistics and facts!
The Top 10 Most Impressive Statistics on Stress
Before we discuss facts and figures from several stress-based research, quickly, here are some incredibly fun facts about stress and fascinating data from findings.
- About 7.7 million American adults suffer from PTSD.
- In 2017, the number one cause of stress was the future of the nation at 63%.
- 30% of older people in the UK said they hadn’t felt stressed to the point where they were struggling to cope in the previous year.
- 45% of college students looking for help say they’re experiencing stress.
- 53% of students in the US said they had experienced stress so severe that they didn’t want to socialize.
- According to stats about stress, 50% of mental health disorders develop by the time the person turns 14.
- Annually, $190 billion is spent on healthcare costs of workplace stress and illness related stress.
- 76% of people claimed that workplace-related stress had affected relationships in their personal lives.
- Adults between the ages of 21 and 40 years were more susceptible to stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Rhodiola Rosea is a well-known herbal remedy and supplement for stress.
General Facts About Stress
Let’s run through some general stress-related stats and facts you most likely never knew.
1. Stress causes your kidneys to release cortisol and adrenaline.
(Healthline)
Initially, your brain picks up the signal that you are stressed in your hypothalamus, and this part of the brain then signals to your kidneys to release the stress hormones. The analysis of this reaction helps define stress.
2. 45% of people experience irritability and anger as symptoms of stress.
(The Recovery Village)
Other stress symptoms include exhaustion and fatigue, anxiety or worry, sadness, muscle pain, demotivation, headaches, stomach problems and indigestion, and unusual differences in appetite.
3. According to statistics on stress, long-term stress can cause a number of physical and mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.
(National Institute of Health)
Physically, feeling stressed for a long period of time can cause heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as other issues. These effects of stress can be life-threatening.
4. Post-traumatic stress disorder facts reveal that about 7.7 million American adults suffer from PTSD.
(Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
This figure (7.7 million) accounts for about 3.5% of the entire United States’ population, considering most prevalently women.
Results state that raped adults and sexually abused children are a primary culprit of post-traumatic stress disorder.
5. 77% of people claim that they have experienced stress that has negatively impacted their health in a physical way.
(The Recovery Village)
In addition to this, if you look at the stress statistics, 73% have claimed that they have experienced stress to the extent that it has negatively affected their mental health. These physical symptoms of stress can cause many different health issues.
6. 43% of people in the United States claim that national healthcare issues cause them stress.
(American Psychology Association)
35% say that the state of the economy stresses them out, and 32% claim that national trust in government causes them stress. 31% are stressed by hate crimes, 31% by crime in general, and 30% say that war and international relations cause them stress. When it comes to stress in America, the statistics say that 30% claim terrorist attacks stress them out, and 28% say they are stressed by the high taxes.
7. 75% of those living in the United States had experienced stress at a medium to a high level in the preceding month.
(The Recovery Village)
Furthermore, it was discovered that around 80% experience stress at their place of work.
8. In 2017, the number one cause of stress was the future of the nation at 63%.
(American Institute of Stress)
In the second place, at 62%, is money. The third most common cause, according to the stress stats, is work at 61%. The political climate is the fourth most common cause of stress at 57%, and in fifth place is violence and crime at 51%.
9. Around $300 billion is spent by employers in the United States on healthcare or loss of productivity related to stress each year.
(The Recovery Village)
Additionally, around 80% of accidents or mishaps in the workplace occur due to stress. For example, an employee being too distracted and tired to notice a mistake.
10. Stats on stress show 30% of older people in the UK said they hadn’t felt stressed to the point where they were struggling to cope in the previous year.
(Mental Health Foundation)
This is in direct comparison to younger respondents, which showed that only 7% hadn’t experienced stress to the point where they were unable to cope in the previous year.
11. 46% of people in the UK reported they had an unhealthy relationship with food due to stress.
(Mental Health Foundation)
According to the statistics on stress, 29% said they drank more alcohol, and 26% said they smoked more cigarettes.
12. 78% of people in 2015 said they’d experienced at least one aspect of stress in the previous year.
(American Psychology Association)
This information is according to a 2015 Stress in America survey that looked at stress and its impact on the nation.
13. 37% of women experienced stress compared to 31% of men.
(American Psychology Association)
This is according to data from an American survey in 2015, which looked at stress experienced by both men and women.
Stress in College Students Statistics
From school workload to project deadlines; from fear of low grades to family issues, students are typically exposed to several stressors. Let’s take a look at some of these statistics on college student stressors.
14. 30% of students at college claimed that they had struggled academically because of stress.
(Anxiety and Depression Association of America)
According to college student stress statistics, 85% had experienced being completely overwhelmed due to their to-do list in the prior year. Stress can negatively affect the way students study and perform academically.
15. 45% of college students looking for help say they’re experiencing stress.
(American Psychology Association)
61% of those seeking help for mental health claim to be suffering from anxiety and 49% say they are experiencing depression.
16. College stress statistics show around three in four college students claimed to have experienced a minimum of one stressful situation in the previous year.
(Harvard Medical School)
In addition to this, at least 20% claimed that they had lived through a minimum of six stressful experiences in the previous year. This just shows how college life can be stressful and anxiety-inducing.
17. According to statistics about stress in students, 53% of students in the US said they had experienced stress so severe that they didn’t want to socialize.
(NYU)
Social isolation and stopping contact with friends and family is a symptom of stress that can worsen the situation.
18. Student stress statistics list the three types of stress that college students are likely to experience as acute stress, episodic stress, and chronic stress.
(Western Governors University)
Acute stress is a quick response to something you are currently experiencing, and it leaves your body on its own after the event. Episodic stress is when someone experiences acute stress frequently over a period of time and results in a constant state of worry or panic.
Chronic stress is a type of stress that doesn’t go away for a long period, and it can cause serious mental and physical problems and various other long-term effects of stress.
Teenage Stress Statistics
Although older adults are considered more susceptible to psychological stress, younger adults and teenagers are not left out. Statistics show a rising teenage exposure to stress. In fact, the stats below show high suicidal tendencies in persons between 15 and 19 years. Here are some disturbing teenage stress facts you should know.
19. Only 45% of Gen Zers claim to have good mental health.
(Developmental Science)
This is compared with 56% of millennials, 51% of Generation X, 70% of baby boomers, and 74% of older adults who claim to have good mental health.
20. 78% of teenagers claim that schoolwork is the main cause of their stress.
(TeenHelp)
68% of teens say that their parents are causing their stress. 64% say that their friends’ problems are affecting their stress levels. 64% claim to be stressed because of romantic relationships, and another 64% say their siblings are the cause of their stress. These are some eye-opening high school stress statistics.
21. Around 50% of mental health disorders develop by the time the person turns 14.
(World Health Organization)
Despite mental health problems being present from a young age, they often go undetected and therefore untreated until much later in that person’s life.
22. The third-highest cause of death among those aged between 15 and 19 is suicide.
(World Health Organization)
In 2016, there were around 62,000 deaths among teenagers due to suicide.
Workplace Stress Statistics for 2020
Whether you have a demanding boss or an impossible workload, stress is your common companion. Too often, stress leads to productivity loss and, in turn, loss of revenue. Here are some exciting stats about stress in the workplace.
23. 35% of people claimed that the biggest stressor at work was their boss.
(Korn Ferry)
80% of people surveyed claimed that whenever a change in leadership of the business occurred, the stress in the workplace increased according to workplace stress statistics.
24. 46% of stress in the workplace comes from a person’s workload.
(The American Institute of Stress)
28% of stress in the workplace is due to issues with people, 20% is from managing a work-life balance, and 6% is related to job insecurity.
25. $190 billion is spent annually on healthcare costs related to workplace stress and stress-related illnesses.
(Center for Workplace Mental Health)
According to stress in the workplace, statistics reveal that it can cause many health issues and results in around 120,000 deaths per year.
26. 76% of people claimed that workplace-related stress had affected relationships in their personal lives.
(Korn Ferry)
66% also said that their sleep had been negatively affected by stress, and 16% went on to resign from their jobs because the stress had become unmanageable. Workplace stress can leave you drained, and it can affect all areas of your life and not just your working hours.
COVID-19 Stress Statistics 2020
The adverse social-economic effects of the ravaging coronavirus are becoming ever more evident. The pandemic-induced crisis has left many with significant mental health issues. Let’s see some statistics about COVID-19 and stress.
27. The America 2020 Survey reveals that stress arising from COVID-19 is significantly contributing to the mental health crisis in the US.
(American Psychological Association)
According to COVID-19 stress statistics, approximately 78% of American adults report the novel coronavirus as a primary stressor, while about 60% attribute their stress to national issues.
28. Adults between the ages of 21 and 40 are more susceptible to stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(National Institute of Health)
While studies say that older people are more prone to COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, recent statistics on stress reveal higher recorded levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among younger people.
A possible explanation is that this age group is more concerned about the pandemic’s future consequences, economically and otherwise. Other researchers say younger adult’s exposure to social media increases their vulnerability to stress.
29. Isolation and quarantine influenced a surge in reported stress cases.
(National Institute of Health)
Interesting facts about stress revealed that people isolated and quarantined reported a high level of confusion, anger, anxiety, and stress.
Studies about the psychological effects of the COVID-19 show an increase in mental disorder symptoms, including depression, emotional distress, mood swings, insomnia, irritability, ADHD, anger, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stress.
30. Almost a fifth of the Canadians resort to harmful measures to manage their stress during the COVID-19 crisis.
(United for Global Mental Health)
Canadian statistics show that 20% of the participants, aged between 15 and 49, used more alcohol and other unsafe substances during the pandemic outbreak.
How to Reduce Stress: Facts and Information
Away from the distressing stress statistics, research shows several ways to manage stress and related mental health concerns. Whether for yourself or a loved one, the following stress management tips may come in handy, particularly to curb the physical effects of stress.
31. Exercise releases endorphins, which can help relieve the symptoms of stress.
(Mayo Clinic)
Endorphins make you feel good and can help you with stress management. It’s also good for your body as well as your brain and can help with other problems, like sleep issues that could be driving up your stress levels. Exercise is one of the top ways to cope with stress.
32. Meditation can help calm your mind and body and relieve the symptoms of stress.
(Very Well Mind)
Stress statistics can be reduced through meditation, among other things. Meditation is a practice that is thousands of years old, and it is one of the best ways to deal with stress.
33. Rhodiola rosea is a well-known herbal remedy and supplement for stress.
(Healthline)
Other natural supplements to help with psychological stress are melatonin, glycine, ashwagandha, L-theanine, vitamin B complexes, and kava.
34. A lack of vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B, magnesium, amino acids, zinc, iron, and selenium can all lead to problems with your mood.
(Amy Myers MD)
If you find yourself nodding along to all the above facts about stress, you should make sure that you are getting enough of the above in your food or even through taking supplements.
35. The best vitamin to take as a supplement if you’re feeling stressed are B-complex vitamins.
(Medical News Today)
B-complex vitamins help your body to better process symptoms related to stress or anxiety. If you’ve been feeling stressed, you can be tested to see whether you have adequate amounts of B vitamins in your body.
FAQs
How many people have died because of stress?
There is no clear data on exactly how many people have died due to stress because stress can cause a variety of issues that can lead to death. For example, stress can cause heart issues, which make it more likely that the person will suffer a heart attack and pass away from that.
However, we do know that 48% of people who took part in a study were more likely to pass away or experience a heart attack because they were experiencing high levels of stress.
What is the number 1 cause of stress?
The number one cause of stress in the United States is money. People are easily stressed out by their finances and whether they will be able to make ends meet. Studies show that millennials worry about money more than any other generation.
Stress about money often ties in with worrying about the future, which is why it is suggested that if you have a plan for retirement, you will be less stressed about your financial situation.
What are the top 10 causes of stress?
What causes stress? Here are the top 10 reasons people feel stressed:
- Worrying about finances
- Workplace stress
- Worrying about the way you appear to other people
- Social anxiety
- Competition
- Health stress
- Major life changes
- Relationship stress
- Grief
- Worrying about the past
This is not an exhaustive list, and there are other causes of stress. However, those listed above are the main problems in life that cause people to be stressed.
What age group has the most stress?
Millennials and Generation X claim to have the highest rates of stress. They report an average of 5.4 out of 10.
However, baby boomers and those who are older also claim to have an unhealthy level of stress. Baby boomers report that their average stress levels are around 4.7, and more mature people report an average stress level of around 3.7.
Conclusion
Stress is something that all people should watch out for. As these stress statistics and facts show us, it can affect teenagers, college students, and working adults in many different ways. Stress can harm you physically, and you need to keep an eye out for it. With the above information in mind, you should be able to identify stress and know how to deal with it and which supplements to take.
Sources:
- American Institute of Stress
- American Psychology Association
- American Psychology Association
- American Psychology Association
- American Psychological Association
- Amy Myers MD)
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- Center for Workplace Mental Health
- Developmental Science
- Harvard Medical School
- Healthline
- Healthline)
- Korn Ferry
- Mayo Clinic
- Medical News Today
- Mental Health Foundation
- National Institute of Health
- National Institute of Health
- NYU
- TeenHelp
- The American Institute of Stress
- The Recovery Village
- Very Well Mind
- Western Governors University
- World Health Organization
- United For Global Mental Health
2 comments
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