OHIO — As pandemic restrictions continue to lift and people go about their daily lives, there are some compounding pressures like the Russia-Ukraine war, inflation and housing that are taking a toll on people's mental health.

What You Need To Know

  • A recent study shows inflation is stressing out 87% of Americans

  • Increased levels of anxiety are being seen in older populations exposed to 24-hour news feeds and 18- to 24-year-olds

  • Stress about money is at its highest levels since 2015

A recent study by the American Psychological Association in partnership with the Harris Poll found that supply issues and global uncertainty stress out 87% people in the study. These numbers drew cause for concern from experts.

Kenneth Yeager, the director of the Stress Trauma and Resilience Program at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said the data was alarming to researchers because it was “a large portion of the American population, and when you look at the American psyche combined with the Pulse Survey that was done in 2021, it's indicating that the levels of stress are higher, and the levels of depression and anxiety are higher than they've ever been in the United States.”

Yeager said he is seeing increased levels of anxiety in people he interacts with, and it's affecting their daily functioning.

“They may be a little more concerned about their safety. They're a little more concerned about world safety. Sometimes, they're a little irritable because of this," he said.

This is especially true for older populations overexposed to 24-hour news feeds and 18- to 24-year-olds viewing unfiltered footage on social media.

Then there's stress about money. The study showed that it's the at its highest levels since 2015, which is nearly 10% higher than last year. Parents and 18- to 43-year-olds are the groups struggling most with all of this. Yeager said this is about the difficulties of paying your bills and the difficulties of filling your car with gasoline now that prices have topped over $4.

“There are multiple destabilizing factors that are linked, leading to higher levels of depression and higher levels of anxiety.”

Yeager's advice to those dealing with compounding issues:

  • Find things around you that are stable
  • Be grateful for five things that you have in your environment
  • Think about four things that are helpful for you each day
  • Think of three things that you can do to help other people
  • Think about two things that you can do to make a difference
  • Make time to take care of yourself

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