Stress takes toll: Rise in numbers over last two years

The number of people suffering from stress has increased “significantly” over the last two years.

That is according to a survey from the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy which found three out of four people surveyed admitted to suffering from stress, compared to 71 per cent in 2013.

The survey carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes questioned 1,016 people across the country, 665 from urban and 350 from rural backgrounds. Men accounted for 49 per cent of those questioned.

It found the number of people who admitted to “often” suffering from stress had risen from 14 per cent to 17 per cent, while those who said they “rarely” did so dropped from 24 per cent to 18 per cent. The number of people who said they suffered from stress “on occasion” rose from 33 per cent in 2013 to 44 per cent in 2015.

The main cause of stress was money – identified by 38 per cent of respondents, up from 33 per cent in 2013. Work was also a significant cause of stress – up to 30 per cent from 27 per cent in 2013.

In relation to health matters, 14 per cent of respondents said their health was the main cause of stress, compared to 10 per cent in 2013.

Work and money were the key stress factors for those aged between between 25 and 50, while relationships and study feature significantly as stress factors for those under 25.

Problems

The survey also found men living in rural locations and members of the farming community reported having difficulties sharing personal problems and suffering from isolation.

However, those most likely to be stressed were middle aged and slightly more likely to be middle aged and urban. There was a decided gender difference with only 12 per cent of men often stressed in comparison with 21 per cent of women.

More than half of all those surveyed, some 57 per cent, said they would rather be physically unwell than suffer from stress, while 9 per cent believed it would be easier to be mentally unwell.

According to the survey women tended to claim a bigger circle of friends that they can talk to, whereas men appear to have more limited resources. Among males aged from 25 to 50, about 47 per cent said they had one or two close friends to whom they could talk. But this figure dropped to 7 per cent when only rural men were considered.

Almost half, 49 per cent of people surveyed agreed with the statement: “I would be keen to have a session with a counsellor or psychotherapist.”