'Tis the Season to Be Stressed, New Poll Finds

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 20, 2023 -- The song says ‘tis the season to be jolly, but many Americans find it to be more the season of stress and worry, a new survey reports.

The strain of inflation and world affairs this year are adding to the other holiday-time stressors to create a toxic mental health cocktail, according to findings from Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine.

Survey results show that:

  • 81% of Americans are stressing out over national issues and world affairs
  • 75% are stressed about rising prices and holiday spending
  • 53% are stressed from increasing cases of flu, COVID and other respiratory illnesses
  • 44% are stressed from memories of last year’s holiday travel meltdown

    • These findings run counter to the notion that holidays are supposed to be a time for families and friends to connect, recharge and enter the new year with a fresh outlook, said researcher Nicole Hollingshead, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Wexner Medical Center.

    “The holidays kind of bring on this feeling of sadness and struggle when we really want it to be more of a joyous time,” Hollingshead said in a university news release. “I encourage people to reflect on what the holidays meant for you growing up. And most of the time I don’t hear people reflect on, ‘I loved having all the presents, or I remember every single thing that someone gave me.’ Instead, it’s more of the feeling of the holidays.”

    People can resist holiday stress by stepping back and taking charge of what they can control, rather than focusing on things they can’t, Hollingshead said.

    For example, people can:

  • Plan your holiday budget and take steps to reduce spending in response to anxiety over high prices.
  • Limit the time spent watching TV news and doom scrolling online news and social media, to manage stress over national and world affairs.
  • Catch up on recommended vaccinations and protect against infection by wearing a mask when out, washing your hands and social distancing, to manage stress over the cold and flu season.
  • Keep an eye out for flight delays or traffic jams, and always have a plan B in case things go wrong, to control stress over unreliable travel plans.

    • Hollingshead also encourages people to avoid emotional spending fueled by advertising that tap into a nostalgic desire for a picture-perfect holiday, on par with Clark Griswold’s “fun, old-fashioned family Christmas.”

    “It gets close to the holidays, and I worry: ‘Did I buy enough for my family? Did I do enough?’ And so we can lose sight of the importance of having too many gifts or making sure everybody has enough to unwrap,” Hollingshead said. “Then we lose sight of the big picture, which is that time together.”

    The survey was conducted between Oct. 20 and Oct. 23 among a sample of 1,007 respondents. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

    Sources

  • Ohio State University, news release, Nov. 20, 2023

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2023-11-20 22:50

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords