Stress Facts

Pervasiveness of Stress:

• Up to 75 percent of all time lost in the workplace is stress-related (Covey, 1999).
• Life today is on average 44% more difficult than 30 years ago based on the number of significant life changes  encountered  (Cryer, 1996).
• The average North American businessperson must now shift concepts at least seven to eight times per hour. In a typical work day, we could easily have to shift concepts 60-70 times! (Cryer, 1996)
• Disabling stress has doubled over the last six years. A 14-year study of more than 12,500  Swedish concluded that those with little control over their work were 1.83 times more likely to develop heart disease, and those with low levels of support in their work were at even higher risk (2.62 times) to  develop heart disease. In addition, depression has doubled with every generation since the 1920s.
• About a million people each day in the US are absent from work due to stress-related disorders.
•  Nearly three-quarters of American workers experience frequent stress-related physical or mental conditions that greatly increase health care costs.
• A landmark 20-year study conducted by the University of London concluded that unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods.
• Up to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints.
• Up to 80% of industrial accidents are due to stress.
• Over 50% of lost work days are stress-related.
• 14% of all workers say stress caused them to quit or change jobs in the previous two years...
• 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress.
• 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders.
• Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide.
• An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints.
• Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the 550,000,000 workdays lost annually because of absenteeism.
• A three-year study conducted by a large corporation showed that 60% of employee absences were due to psychological problems such as stress.
• Nearly half of all American workers suffer from symptoms of burnout, a disabling reaction to stress on the job.
• The proportion of workers who reported "feeling highly stressed" more than doubled from 1985 to 1990. (http://www.stress.org/problem.htm)
• Workplace violence is rampant. There are almost 2 million reported instances of homicide, aggravated assault, rape or sexual assaults. Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury and the leading cause of death for working women.
• Recent research has increasingly confirmed the important role of stress in cardiovascular disease, cancer, gastrointestinal, skin, neurologic and emotional disorders, and a host of disorders linked to immune system disturbances, ranging from the common cold and herpes, to arthritis, cancer, and AIDS. (http://www.stress.org/problem.htm)
• To a great extent, we are. A 1998 National Study of the Changing Workforce found that Americans feel they are working harder, longer and faster.4 According to this study, 88 percent of Americans reported having to work very hard, 68 percent claimed they are forced to work very fast, and 60 percent felt they still did not have enough time to get everything done.  71 percent of those polled felt "used up" at the end of the day; 57 percent reported being stressed or burned out by their  job; 38 percent claimed that stress has caused them minor health problems
• The International Labor Organization (branch of the UN), report that 1 in 10 workers are affected on the job by anxiety, depression, and stress. The increase of job-related stress is "alarming" according to the 2000 survey, and costs to governments are as high as 4% of its GNP. In the US, 200 million working days are lost anually due to mental health problems, and $30-44 are spent each year dealing with depression. Problems identified in the US and Europe include pressure to produce, job insecurity, unreasonable demands, and rising unemployment (in Germany, Finland, & Poland). In Finland, more than half the workforce suffers from job burnout from the early 1990 recession. In Germany, depression accounts for 7% of early retirements, and depression leaves last 2.5 times longer than other illnesses. Nearly three of 10 Britons experience mental health problems (Olson, E. (Oct. 11, 2000) UN Warns of 'alarming rise' in depression at work. International Herald Tribune, p.15).

Costs of Job Stress

• Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. Industry $300 billion annually, as assessed by absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, direct medical, legal and insurance fees, etc.
• 60-80% of industrial accidents are due to stress. Some, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Three Mile Island nuclear disaster have direct cleanup costs of billions of dollars, not to mention environmental damage that cannot even be estimated.
• Workers' compensation awards for job stress, rare two decades ago, have skyrocketed and threaten to bankrupt the system in some states. California employers shelled out almost $1 billion for medical and legal fees alone. Nine out of ten job stress suits are successful, with an average payout more than four times that for regular injury claims.
• The market for stress management programs, products, and services was $9.4 billion in 1995, and is projected to be $11.31 billion for 1999.

40% of worker turnover is due to job stress. The Xerox Corporation estimates that it costs approximately $1-$1.5 million to replace a top executive, and average employee turnover costs between $2,000 to $13,000 per individual.
• Stress costs the country's businesses from $50 to $80 billion per year, or roughly $750 per individual worker - and these costs continue to rise. (http://www.workingresources.com/stress.html)
• Market data estimate that stress management programs, products, and services totaled $9.4 billion in 1995, with an estimated 22 percent annual growth.1
• Stress also contributes to significant costs for American industry in the form of absenteeism, reduced productivity and workers' compensation benefits. It is estimated that stress-related disorders cost American businesses over $150 billion annually.1
• A 1998 study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine revealed that workers reporting depression and elevated stress levels generate higher healthcare costs than those not affected by such conditions.3 The study also found that medical expenses were 46.3 percent higher for those reporting elevated stress levels.

Stress Management

According to a 1998 survey published in the Detroit Free Press, 45% of Americans regularly use some form of stress management, 23 percent frequently engage in    relaxation therapy and 5 percent often practice yoga.2
 

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References (Sorry, not in APA format at this time)

1 Stress is problem for most Americans. Research Alert 1996; 14(21):1.
2 Popular Practices. (1998, October 6). Detroit Free Press.
3 Goetzel, RZ, et al. The relationship between modifiable health risks and health care expenditures. An analysis of the multi-employer HERO health risk and cost database. J Occup Environ Med 1998; 40(10):843-854.
4 Stressed Out? Vital Stats. (1998, April 15). The Orange County Register/KRT.
5 Employee Burnout:America's Newest Epidemic" (Northwestern National Life);
6 Job Stress: The 20th Century Disease" (UN International Labor Organization);
7 Mitchum Report on Stress in the '90's."
8 Stress-America's No. 1 health problem. American Institute of Stress. URL: http://www.stress.org/problem.htm
9 Cryer, B. A. (1996, June 12). Neutralizing Workplace Stress: The Physiology of Human Performance and Organizational Effectiveness. Presented at: Psychological Disabilities in the Workplace, The Centre for Professional Learning, Toronto, Canada
10 Covey, F. (October, 1999). Rethinking stress. http://www.franklincovey.com/organizational/ servprod/rts.html