Pressures of life take severest toll on middle aged, survey shows

THE pressures of life are mounting for middle aged Irish people, according to a recent survey. Those aged 35 to 54 scored higher than younger or older age groups when asked if they felt "under more pressure nowadays".

Almost half of middle aged people feel under more pressure from work 81 per cent claim to have more financial pressures 63 per cent feel they, have less time to get things done and 47 per cent are under more family pressure.

"The stresses Irish people are suffering from are reality based" said Prof Patricia Casey consultant psychiatrist with the Maier Hospital, in Dublin, speaking at the publication of the survey.

"The pace of life is moving much more quickly and there always seems to be more to be done. People have greater ambitions in the work environment yet job uncertainty has become a modern day reality," she said.

People suffering stress because of their situation should take exercise, be sure to take their breaks and holidays from work, and set aside times when they can relax, according to Prof Casey.

People who feel they are suffering more stress than their situation merits might need professional helm.

Using alcohol to seek relief from stress was not to be recommended, she said. What was needed was that people adopted a healthy lifestyle.

The survey was carried out by AGB Adelaide, a market research company commissioned by Pharmaton Vitamins. Some 1,016 adults were interviewed.

The survey found that women seemed to be under more pressure than their male counterparts. They told researchers they felt they had less time to get things done (58 per cent of women, as against 50 per cent of men) they found pressure from the family greater than men did (42 per cent of women, as against 28 per cent of men) and they found it harder to eat a balanced diet (34 per cent of women, as against 26 per cent of men).

Those surveyed were asked about their eating habits. Some 68 per cent said they knew what a balanced diet was, and 30 per cent found it hard to eat such a diet. The main reason given for this was lack of time, although poor appetite was also a significant factor.

Almost half those interviewed do not take enough exercise, and 23 per cent never exercise, according to the survey.