Report indicates people are feeling increasingly tired, stressed and lonely
A report released by global health service company Cigna ranks America at No. 9 for health and well-being, indicating that more Americans than ever report feeling stressed about their physical health, workplace wellness and decreasing time spent with family and friends.
The study, called Well and Beyond, is conducted annually and spans 22 countries to assesses how individuals feel about five specific life issues: physical, family, social, financial and work. American well-being in those areas fell this year by 1.2 points, which is slightly above the global average and on par with Europeans, and people who live in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. The report says stress is mainly attributed to the “deterioration of workplace wellness, followed by physical and family wellness.” All age groups reported similar feelings but the “sandwich generation” – people aged 35-49 – are the most unhappy.
“We’re seeing high incidences of stress, poor sleep quality and less time connecting with loved ones, which all can have a profound impact on one’s physical health,” said Jose Quesada, chief medical officer, international markets at Cigna.
Key Well and Beyond findings show more people today are not making physical health a priority, with more Americans reporting insufficient sleep in quantity and quality, less exercise and worsening eating habits. Only 28 percent reported being at a healthy weight and just 33 percent know their Body Mass Index (BMI). More than 60 percent know their blood pressure and while 85 percent believe high blood pressure can be reversed with lifestyle changes, nearly one in three said they aren’t taking action to address symptoms.
Four of five Americans say they feel stressed and 15 percent say it has become unmanageable. Working women report higher levels of stress (88 percent) than working men (80 percent) and many indicated a “profound lack of support from employers” in managing it, with only 25 percent noting assistance or support from their employer in managing stress – a 17 percent decline from 2018. For those with workplace wellness programs, more than a third feel that they fail to address mental well-being.
Only 35 percent are sleeping sufficiently, down six points from 2017 and just 32 percent of Americans report having “good quality sleep,” down eight points from 2017. American men (36 percent) claim to be sleeping better and longer than women (28 percent).
Some 45 percent of Americans said they feel excellent or very good about the amount of time they spend with their family, compared to 51 percent in 2017. Just 62 percent of Americans spend sufficient time with friends, down five points from the previous year. Americans reported having fewer friends to talk openly with, and less in-person interactions with both family and friends. This is consistent with Cigna’s U.S. Loneliness Index finding that nearly half of Americans lack daily meaningful in-person social interactions.
