Forbes Magazine – Stress

According to Dr. Robert Pearl, and his recent article in Forbes magazine, psychological stress – a very common problem in America – is often overlooked and represents an issue not properly managed by doctors and the health care system.

Moreover, associations of stress with common human diseases are poorly understood by many clinicians and, thus, too often, some of the patients’ stress-related conditions are misdiagnosed.

As per Dr. Pearl:

Doctors either don’t diagnosis or do so inaccurately not because they’ve failed to consider an obscure medical condition. In fact, it’s the opposite. They’ve overlooked a very common problem in America: stress.

Thus, the author concludes that all these reasons indicate that there is a serious need for “stress awareness” and proper education of doctors and patients about the prevalence of stress and its clinical consequences.

Some issues related to this problem as highlighted in the article:

“Americans are stressed”

Many Americans report high stress levels and “1 in 5 people quantify their stress level as extremely high”. The results of the Health Burden of Stress in America Survey (funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NPR & Harvard School of Public Health) show that 70% of individuals who experienced a great deal of stress in the past month say it affected their family life, health and social life.

Furthermore, and as we recently reported, 42% of US employees have purposely changed jobs due to stress, and according to the Stress in the Workplace 2013 Survey, by the American Psychological Association (APA),

more than one-third of American workers experience chronic work stress,

with low salaries, lack of opportunity for advancement and heavy workloads topping the list of contributing factors.

“Stress is costly” and an issue rarely addressed or managed by doctors

The job-related stress is costing the American industry an estimated $300 billion a year in absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity and on-the-job accidents.

As per this article and according to an American Psychological Association report, “33% of patients have never discussed managing their stress with a health care professional”.

Nearly half of physicians admit to “rarely” or “never” bringing up the ‘stress issue’ with their patients.

Part of the problem, as discussed by Dr. Pearl, is that “there’s more money in treating the symptoms than there is in addressing their source: psychological stress” and “with the typical U.S. primary care physician seeing up to 30 patients a day, there’s little time to ask about complex psychological issues”.

Source: Forbes Magazine
Read More: forbes.com

Updates

‘Stress’ and Forbes magazine

2020

Managing Stress As An Entrepreneur During Times Of Crisis

For many entrepreneurs, the coronavirus has introduced a very difficult situation in their lives. Worrying about your business finances, working in social isolation, adjusting to remote work and thinking about health concerns.

2021

Executives Are Denying Their Stress and That’s a Problem — Here’s How to Cope

By Frederic Funck – according this author — many self-help books and magazine articles rate “grit” — the ability to persevere in spite of adversity — as the single most important quality a leader should possess. Thus, he is describing a startling trend among executives: the denial of stress.

2022

5 Pieces of Expert Advice On Stressing Less in 2023

Forbes Health Advisory Board members shared their advice on stress management.

7 Easy Ways To Relieve Stress, According To Experts

Teresa Adele and some practical methods to try or seven ways to relieve stress.

Employee Stress Is At Record Highs – Should We Get Rid Of Managers?

It appears that employees around the world are more stressed than ever before, as per the Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report. Stress levels in 2021 were even higher than in 2020, when they reached a previous all-time high, the report found.

2023

What Is Chronic Stress? Definition, Symptoms And Treatment

Lizzie Duszynski-Goodman discusses how to recognize the signs of chronic stress and implement simple lifestyle changes to overcome it.

Stressors: Recognizing What Causes Stress

Stressors can be internal or external. Fear or beliefs are examples of internal stressors, while an external stressor can have environmental factors or involve other people.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

By Emily Laurence, updated 2023 — post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition categorized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a trauma and stressor-related disorder.