You can’t read a newspaper, click on an online news site, listen to the radio, or watch a television newscast without seeing or hearing something about the economy in a recession. Unemployment this month has reached over eight and a half percent with many areas on the country seeing more than 10 percent of its population out of work. Men and women are both faced with the mounting stress of feeding their families, looking for work, watching their houses go down in value, and looking at dwindling retirement savings.

A recent telephone survey sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association found that women are reporting significant increases in negative mental health symptoms in the past months. Women throughout the United States were interviewed along with a large sample of women in Clinton County, Ohio. The Ohio sample was included because the people of Clinton County have experienced a higher than average loss of employment due to DHL eliminating more than 5,000 jobs.

The results of this survey suggested that the higher rates of unemployment and wage cuts in Clinton County, Ohio have indeed increased the levels of stress, anxiety, irritability, sleep problems, and frustration in women. For the women in that area who have not experienced a job loss, the fear of losing a job and the stress of seeing friends and neighbors suffering raises their levels of anxiety. A smaller but still significant level of increased stress was also found in the country wide survey.

Women who experience anxiety tend to push their worries aside and focus on their families. They are likely to forgo their own needs in favor of making sure that their families are taken care of. At the same time, many of the women sampled said that they are spending more time with their families and friends and engaging in positive activities.

Women must take care of themselves in order to be strong for their families. If women are irritable, fatigued, and frustrated, caring for others may be more difficult. Therefore, women should strive for a balance between dealing with their own anxiety and helping their family members. Exercise and social support are critical in these times. So, take a walk outside and enjoy the spring. Have a picnic lunch in the park and take a few deep breaths.

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Wes (May 5, 2009)

From Psych Central's website:
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Prof.Lakshman (May 6, 2009)

    Last reviewed: 5 May 2009