Survey: Teens more stressed than adults
Many American teens feel stressed -- especially when school is in session -- yet don't know how to handle feeling under pressure, according to a new "Stress in America" survey released Feb. 11.
The survey by the American Psychological Association found that stress in teenagers rivals, or even surpasses, that in adults, but that teens are more clueless when it comes to the detrimental effects of stress.
"It is alarming that the teen stress experience is so similar to that of adults. It is even more concerning that they seem to underestimate the potential impact that stress has on their physical and mental health," said Norman Anderson, the association's executive vice president, in a statement.
The survey found that teens report higher-than-healthy levels of stress during the school year, with the result being that they also report feeling irritable, nervous, tired or near tears.
Girls were more likely than boys to report feeling stressed.
All teens, compared to adults, however, were less likely to think stress was hurting their physical or mental well-being.
The association recommended parents talk to their teens about stress, suggesting they help combat it by getting exercise, sleeping more and trying to strike a better balance between school work and enjoyable activities.
"Parents and other adults can play a critical role in helping teens get a handle on stress by modeling healthy stress management behaviors," APA chief executive officer and executive vice president Norman Anderson said in the report.
"When spending time with teens, we can encourage them to exercise, eat well, get the sleep they need and seek support from health care professionals like psychologists to help them develop healthier coping mechanisms for stress sooner rather than later."