American teenagers suffer from too much stress but the real problem is they are unable to manage it, a new national survey suggests.
More than a quarter or approximately 27 percent of respondents claim they experience extreme stress throughout the school year while 13 percent claim they experience stress in the summer. Another 34 percent expect their stress levels to increase in the coming years. Some of the most common factors that contribute to their stress include school, friends, work and families. The latest Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association has found that most teens who suffer from extreme stress do not resort to using healthy methods to cope.
Their findings suggest that unhealthy behaviors associated with stress may start early and may continue through adulthood. With 21 percent of adults reporting "extreme" stress levels, the survey confirms that with teens who mirror an adult's high-stress life, may potentially risk themselves up for a future of chronic stress and illness. The report warns that teens who are unable to manage their stress levels are at a higher risk of a variety of physical and emotional ills and have potentially shorter lifespans.
"Our study this year gives us a window in looking at how early these patterns might begin," says clinical psychologist Norman Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association. "The patterns of stress we see in adults seem to be occurring as early as the adolescent years - stress-related behaviors such as lack of sleep, lack of exercise, poor eating habits in response to stress."
