STRESS -
AMERICA'S #1 HEALTH PROBLEM

Surveys and Research Reports over the past two decades reveal that:

43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects due to stress.

75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders.

Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide.

An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints. Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the 550,000,000 workdays lost annually because of absenteeism.

A three-year study conducted by a large corporation showed that 60% of employee absences were due to psychological problems such as stress.

Nearly half of all American workers suffer from symptoms of burnout, a disabling reaction to stress on the job.

STRESS -
GETTING WORSE AND MORE COSTLY

The proportion of workers who reported "feeling highly stressed" more than doubled from 1985 to 1990.

Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. Industry $300 billion annually, as assessed by absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, direct medical, legal and insurance fees, etc. 60-80% of industrial accidents are due to stress. Some, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Three Mile Island nuclear disaster have direct cleanup costs of billions of dollars, not to mention environmental damage that cannot even be estimated.

Workers' compensation awards for job stress, rare two decades ago, have skyrocketed and threaten to bankrupt the system in some states. California employers shelled out almost $1 billion for medical and legal fees alone. Nine out of ten job stress suits are successful, with an average payout more than four times that for regular injury claims.

The market for stress management programs, products, and services was $9.4 billion in 1995, and is projected to be $11.31 billion for 1999.

40% of worker turnover is due to job stress. The Xerox Corporation estimates that it costs approximately $1-$1.5 million to replace a top executive, and average employee turnover costs between $2,000 to $13,000 per individual.

Workplace violence is rampant. There are almost 2 million reported instances of homicide, aggravated assault, rape or sexual assaults. Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury and the leading cause of death for working women.

Recent research has increasingly confirmed the important role of stress in cardiovascular disease, cancer, gastrointestinal, skin, neurologic and emotional disorders, and a host of disorders linked to immune system disturbances, ranging from the common cold and herpes, to arthritis, cancer, and AIDS. The latest developments in these and all stress related subjects are regularly reported on in our Monthly Newsletter, and comprehensive Informational Packets are also available.

 

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