NYAPRS Note: Targeting stress management in teens is an essential way to mitigate ongoing mental and physical health challenges later in life. A recent study from the APA reviewed below notes what a significant challenge this is for our country. This should in no way be a catalyst for more diagnoses and psychiatric treatment for teenagers; it is part of a systemic problem in the way we approach daily life that should be better understood and targeted within schools, communities, and families. Compounded stress throughout years of adolescence can contribute to mental health challenges in adulthood if the cause of the stress remains unaddressed and if proper self-management techniques are never learned.
APA Annual Stress Survey Finds Teens More Stressed than Adults
Mental Health Weekly; Vol 24 num 7, 2/17/2014
Many teens report they are experiencing stress at unhealthy levels, are uncertain about their stress management techniques and are experiencing symptoms of stress in numbers that mirror adults’ experiences, according to a new survey released Feb. 11 by the American Psychological Association (APA), suggesting that unhealthy behaviors associated with stress may begin manifesting early in people’s lives.
The survey, “Stress in America: Are Teens Adopting Adults’ Stress Habits?” was conducted online by Harris Interactive, Inc., on behalf of the APA, among 1,950 adults and 1,018 teens in the United States in 2013. This year, the survey explored the relationship between stress and health behaviors like sleep, exercise and eating — behaviors that people report are important to them but that appear to be negatively affected by stress.
According to the survey, teens are more likely than adults to report that their stress level has a slight or no impact on their body or physical health (54 percent of teens vs. 39 percent of adults) or their mental health (52 percent of teens vs. 43 percent of adults). Yet teens report experiencing both emotional and physical symptoms of stress in similar proportions to adults, including feeling irritable or angry, nervous, anxious and/or tired.
The survey findings are especially sobering when paired with research that suggests that physical activity, nutrition and lifestyle — all wellness factors the survey revealed to be affected by stress in teens and adults — not only contribute to adolescents’ health now, but to habits that can be sustained into adulthood, the survey stated.
Since the “Stress in America” survey first began tracking Americans’ stress in 2007, this is the first time the survey has included input from teens and adolescents, Norman Anderson, Ph.D., APA’s CEO and executive vice president, said during a webinar Feb. 11 to launch the survey.
Stress early on in adolescence can lead to high-level risk factors, such as depression, in the near term and chronic illnesses in the long term, like heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure, Anderson said. “The implications are quite significant,” he said.
One of the most interesting aspects of the study, said Anderson, is the connection between behaviors such as exercise, sleep and diet that together form a “vicious circle” in contributing to stress, he said.
“Bad habits can lead to lifelong health issues,” Katherine C. Nordal, Ph.D., executive director for professional practice at the APA, told webinar participants. “We’re focusing on the mind/body connection. We haven’t really zeroed in on teens. Teens and young adults represent a population that is often under- served.”
Nordal added that the APA wanted to shine a light on the stress issues affecting teens and young adults and help prevent physical disease as well as mental health problems down the road.
Survey highlights
Teens report that their stress level during the school year far exceeds what they believe to be healthy (5.8 vs. 3.9 on a 10-point scale) and tops adults’ average reported stress levels (5.8 for teens vs 5.1 for adults). Even during the summer — between Aug. 3 and Aug. 31, 2013, when interviewing took place— teens reported their stress during the past month at levels higher than what they believe is healthy (4.6 vs.3.9 on a 10-point scale).
Many teens also report feeling overwhelmed (31 percent) and depressed or sad (30 percent) as a result of stress. More than one-third of teens report fatigue or feeling tired (36 percent), and nearly one-quarter of teens (23 percent) report skipping a meal due to stress.
Other findings include:
� Forty-two percent of teens say they either are not doing enough to manage their stress or they are not sure if they are doing enough to manage it.
� Thirty-seven percent of teen girls report feeling depressed or sad in the past month due to stress, compared to 23 percent of teen boys.
� Although teens do not appear to recognize the potential impact of stress on their physical and mental health, they often struggle to cope. Only 50 percent report feeling confident about their ability to handle their personal problems, and 46 percent say they feel that they are on top of things fairly or very often.
Ongoing problem for adults
Stress continues to be a problem for many adults, while high stress and ineffective coping mechanisms remain ingrained in American culture, according to the survey. The survey noted that 42 percent of adults report that their stress level has increased and 36 percent say their stress level has stayed the same over the past five years.
On average, adults report their stress level as a 5.1 on a 10-point scale, far higher than the level of stress they believe is healthy (3.6). While the majority of adults say that stress management is important to them, few set aside the time they need to manage stress. Some adults do not take any action at all to help manage their stress — one in 10 adults (10 percent) say they do not engage in any stress management activities.
More than one-third (36 per- cent) of adults say stress affects their overall happiness a great deal or a lot and 43 percent of adults who exercise to relieve stress have actually skipped exercise due to stress in the past month.
Lack of sleep and exercise are serious concerns. Forty-three percent of American adults report that stress has caused them to lie awake at night in the past month. According to the survey, 45 percent of adults with higher reported stress levels (8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale) feel even more stressed if they do not get enough sleep. Forty-three percent of adults say they exercise to manage stress, and 39 percent say they have skipped exercise or physical activity in the past month when they were feeling stressed. Fifty percent say that being physically active or fit is extremely or very important to them, yet only 27 percent report doing an excellent or very good job of achieving this.
“The survey reveals that there is a lot of work to do to manage stress overall,” said Anderson. “We need to focus on stress of children and teens and provide information to help them understand how to cope with stress as well.”
For a copy of the APA’s stress survey,
visit www.stressinamerica.org.