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National Psychology Week is an initiative of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) The state of the nation two years on, and Special feature on working Australians October 2013 Lynne Casey PhD MAPSStress and wellbeing in Australia survey 2013 2 Acknowledgements The Stress and Wellbeing Survey is in its third year with the first administration of the survey being conducted in August 2011. Acknowledgement and thanks goes to the following people and organisations: • Professor Mike Kyrios FAPS as co-chief investigator and Swinburne University, Melbourne Australia as host university of the survey • Professor Lyn Littlefield FAPS and Dr Peter Cotton FAPS for their ongoing involvement and contribution to the Stress and Wellbeing Survey, and in particular for their leadership in the area of workplace wellbeing • Rachel Liang MAPS for her valuable contribution as Project Officer Contacts To contact the author email l.casey@psychology.org.au3 CONTENTS 1. Summary of key findings 4 1.1 The stress and wellbeing of Australians two years on… 4 1.2 Psychological health of Australians in the workplace 6 2. 2013 Survey report 7 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Survey methodology 8 2.3 Survey results: The stress and wellbeing of Australians two years on... 15 2.3.1 Levels of wellbeing, stress and distress 15 2.3.2 Experience of depressive and anxiety symptoms 17 2.3.3 Causes of stress 19 2.3.4 Strategies for managing stress 24 2.3.5 Impact of stress on physical and mental health 28 2.3.6 Help-seeking behaviour for managing stress 30 2.3.7 Stress and wellbeing for carers & those with chronic health conditions 31 2.4 Survey results: Psychological health of Australians in the workplace 32 2.4.1 Workplace stress and wellbeing 32 2.4.2 Workplace factors and psychological health and wellbeing 34 3. References 43 Appendices 44 Appendix A: Summary statistics for specific groups for 2013 44 • Additional summary statistics for working Australians 44 • Summary statistics for working women 45 • Summary statistics for women 48 • Summary statistics for the unemployed 50 • Summary statistics for young adults 52 • Summary statistics for carers 54 • Summary statistics for chronic illness group 56 Appendix B: Survey resources 58 • Tips on how to manage everyday stress infographic 58 • Understanding & managing stress tipsheet 58 • Stress Tips video 58 Stress and wellbeing in Australia survey 2013 01 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS The Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2013 had two main aims this year: • To assess the stress and wellbeing of the Australian population two years on from the initial administration, and • To conduct a more in-depth exploration of the stress and wellbeing of working Australians. 1.1 The stress and wellbeing of Australians two years on… Overall, while the pattern of findings was largely consistent with those reported in 2012 and 2011, the key findings of the Stress and Wellbeing Survey 2013 indicated that Australians had significantly lower levels of wellbeing and significantly higher levels of stress and distress, and depressive and anxiety symptoms than in previous years. Levels of wellbeing • In 2013, Australians reported significantly lower levels of wellbeing compared with findings in 2012 and 2011. • Older Australians (66-75 years old) continued to report much higher levels of wellbeing compared with younger Australians (particularly the 18-25 year age group). • Similar to previous years, there were no differences between males and females on levels of wellbeing. Levels of stress and distress • In 2013, Australians reported significantly higher levels of stress and distress compared with findings in 2012 and 2011. • Significantly more Australians reported moderate to severe levels of distress compared with findings of 2012. • Similar to previous years’ findings, younger adults continued to report much higher levels of stress and distress compared with older Australians. Experience of depressive and anxiety symptoms • In 2013, Australians reported significantly higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms compared with findings in 2012 and 2011. • Almost one in seven Australians reported depressive symptoms in the severe to extremely severe range. • More than one in ten Australians reported anxiety symptoms in the severe to extremely severe range. • Similar to previous years’ findings, younger adults continued to report much higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms compared with older Australians. • Unemployed Australians and students reported the highest levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Causes of stress • Financial issues remain the leading cause of stress amongst Australians with more than half of Australians identifying finances as a cause of stress • Almost one in four Australians reported mental health issues as a source of stress, up slightly from last year • Family and financial issues were the tied leading sources of stress for women while the leading source of stress for men was issues related to personal finance • Similar to last year’s findings, the prevalence of most causes of stress significantly decreased as people got older. Strategies for managing stress • Watching TV or movies, spending time with friends or family, listening to music, focusing on the positives and reading remain the most frequently cited strategies used for managing stress. • Significantly more Australians reported visiting social networking sites, eating, or sleeping more to help manage their stress compared with findings in 2012. • Similar to last year findings, four in five Australians rated their use of stress management strategies as moderately to highly effective. Impact of stress on physical and mental health • Similar to findings in 2012, just over seven in ten Australians reported that current stress was having at least some impact on physical health, with almost one in five reporting that current stress was having a strong to very strong impact on physical health. • In contrast to findings in 2012, significantly more Australians were reporting that current stress was having at least some impact on their mental health with one in five reporting that current stress was having a strong to very strong impact on mental health. • Similar to findings in 2012, Australians who had recently gone through a family or relationship breakdown were significantly more likely than the rest of the sample of Australians to perceive their stress levels as having a strong impact on their mental and physical health. Help-seeking behaviour for managing stress • Australians were most likely to seek help to manage their stress from family, friends and general practitioners. • Similar to previous years’ findings, almost one in five Australians reported seeking help from psychologists or other mental health professionals to manage their stress. 1.2 Psychological health of Australians in the workplace Workplace stress and wellbeing • Working Australians reported significantly lower overall workplace wellbeing in 2013 (as measured by the Workplace subscale of the UK wellbeing scale) compared with findings in 2012 and 2011. • Working Australians reported significantly lower levels of job satisfaction compared with previous years. • Working Australians reported significantly lower levels of interest in their job compared with 2012. • Similar to previous years’ findings, almost half of working Australians rated issues in the workplace as a source of stress. Workplace factors and psychological health and wellbeing Working Australians were asked about a number of workplace factors that have been shown to represent features of a psychologically healthy workplace. • Half of working Australians reported that their employer valued their contribution and cared about their wellbeing • More than four in five Australians reported being clear about what is expected of them in their work role • Three in five Australians reported having sufficient opportunities for learning and development • Less than half of working Australians reported that they regularly received relevant feedback and recognition for their work • Almost seven in ten working Australians reported feeling very involved in their job • Seven in ten Australians reported that their employer was serious about safety at work • Six in ten working Australians reported that their employer supports staff with physical injuries while just half of working Australians reported that their employer supports staff with mental health issues • Working women were significantly more likely than working men to report that their immediate managers were available to help them when they needed support to do their job. • Working Australians who were positively aligned with these workplace factors (that is, those who reported that they agreed or strongly agreed with the workplace factor statements) reported significantly higher levels of wellbeing, lower levels of stress and distress, and lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than working Australians who were not positively aligned with these workplace factors. 2.1 Introduction This year marks the third year the APS has commissioned a ‘state-of-the-nation’ survey on a representative1 sample of adult Australians to examine the levels of stress and wellbeing experienced by Australians. While everyone experiences stress at times, research evidence indicates that excessive amounts of stress have been linked to impaired functioning across a range of areas including home, work life, relationships, and physical and psychological health. Periodic assessment of the stress and wellbeing levels within the Australian community provides important information to understand and enhance the psychological and physical health of the population. The findings of the survey are launched as part of APS’s National Psychology Week held each year in the second week in November and forms an important part of APS’s commitment to promoting community mental health awareness and psychological wellbeing. Findings of the Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2012 and 2011 found a similar pattern of findings with Australians experiencing levels of stress and distress comparable to other Western countries, and younger adults reporting the highest levels of stress. Last year’s survey included some additional questions around the impact of stress on mental and physical wellbeing, as well as exploring the stress and wellbeing of two ‘at-risk’ groups: carers of an ageing or chronically ill person, and people with chronic health conditions (such as diabetes and arthritis)2.The Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2013 had two main aims:• To assess the stress and wellbeing of the Australian population two years on from the initial administration to allow year-on-year comparisons, and • To conduct a more in-depth exploration of the psychological health of Australians in the workplace. A focus on working Australians and workplaces was identified as an important area for inquiry in light of the current post GFC3 economic climate and the growing recognition of the role and responsibilities that workplaces have on employee productivity, engagement, and health and wellbeing. 1 See page 8 under ‘Survey methodology’ for more detail on the methodology undertaken to obtain a representative sample of Australians. 2 See the Stress and wellbeing in Australia in 2012: A state-of-the-nation survey report available to download at www.psychology.org.au/NPW 3 GFC = Global financial crisis 02 SURVEY REPORT 7 National Psychology Week is an initiative of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Stress and wellbeing in Australia survey 2013 2.2 Survey methodology The Australian Psychological Society (APS) in conjunction with an online research company conducted the survey of a sample of Australians. The survey participants were comprised of approximately equal numbers of men and women and were representative of the Australian adult population (18 and above) for age, gender, geographical location and work status (matched on Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS]) as shown in Tables 1-44. A total of 1548 people completed the online survey, which was conducted over a two and a half week period from 18 July to 5 August 2013. 4 Due to the survey only being available online, it is acknowledged that while participants were matched against APS statistics on relevant demographic variables, the sample is restricted to online data gathering processes only. TABLE 1 Gender of survey participants and ABS data comparison
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