Almost three out of four people believe life in the Republic is more stressful than it was five years ago and more people are turning to smoking and alcohol to help them cope, according to a survey of stress levels published yesterday.
The survey, carried out in August by Irish Marketing Surveys on behalf of the Mental Health Association of Ireland (MHAI), also reveals financial and health worries, together with transport difficulties, are among the leading causes of stress.
Some 35 per cent of the 1,000 respondents to the survey said they had experienced notable levels of stress in the recent past, while 73 per cent said they found life in Ireland more stressful than five years ago. A total of 13 per cent said life was the same in stress terms, 10 per cent found life less stressful than five years ago and five per cent said they did not know.
People in the 35-44 age group were more likely to say life was more stressful. Those in the higher social categories suffered most stress. People living in Dublin suffered most, followed by those in the rest of Leinster. People in Munster reported least stress. People working outside the home were more likely to suffer stress than those working at home.
In contrast, the majority of the population (65 per cent) said they had not experienced undue levels of stress in the past month. Some 73 per cent also said they were able to "laugh and see the funny side of things".
Two thirds of people asked to describe how they coped with stress said they simply accepted that situations could not be changed. Some 60 per cent of those surveyed exercised or took part in sports or hobbies.
However, increased intake of alcohol and increased smoking were cited by 17 per cent and 19 per cent respectively as a method of dealing with stress.
The top three causes of stress at home were financial worries, health worries and transport difficulties. Single people were more likely to report stress as a result of financial worries (26 per cent compared to the norm of 22 per cent).
In the workplace, the main causes of stress were having too much work and having too much responsibility for others at work.
One in 10 people have sought professional help for stress-related problems, the majority (78 per cent) from their GP.
Mr Brian Howard, chief executive of the MHAI, said there had been growing concern in Ireland and elsewhere about the effects of stress in the workplace and in the home.
"It is a mental health and well-being issue which cannot be ignored. Now that we have narrowed down the main sources of stress and identified in broad terms the support required from professionals, employers and others, there is a basis for a targeted national campaign to ensure that stress does not get out of control as a health or lifestyle problem."
The survey coincides with World Health Day tomorrow. The full survey is available at www.mentalhealthireland.ie