Women’s stress levels may be hit harder by economy, report says

WASHINGTON Women may be more prone to stressing out over poor economic conditions, which could have an impact on their health, a report from the Society for Women’s Health Research revealed last week.

Citing a recent survey from the American Psychological Association called “Stress in America,” SWHR noted that women are expressing fear about the current financial situation more than men. Women are also reporting physical and psychological symptoms, including sleep disturbances, headaches, mood swings and changes in appetite, in higher numbers than men.

Three quarters of male respondents to the APA survey expressed fear about the economy, compared to 84 percent of women.

“Women are sometimes more aware of the stress they are feeling,” Stephanie Smith, public education coordinator for the APA and a licensed clinical psychologist in Erie, Colo., said. “They are often more willing to talk about it and admit to the struggles they are having.”

Women also tend to be the primary caretakers for most families, which in times of economic crisis, can add to the burden. “Women have many roles to play in life. They are often the primary caregivers for children and the older generations [aging parents], as well as workers in industry,” Smith said. 

In addition, many of the traditional household responsibilities end up falling on the shoulders of women. “As much as things have changed over the years, women still tend to do more of the household work,” Smith said, referring to cooking, cleaning and laundry. “Taken together, these things often lead to more stress in women, because they just have more things to be stressed about.”

Women are more likely to report unhealthy behaviors, including eating poorly and excessive shopping and napping as a response to stress. They are also more likely than men to report physical symptoms of stress, including headaches, exhaustion and depression.