Stressed Out Australia - Survey Sparks Call for Urgent Change

Release date: 03 Jul 2008

Results of a Newspoll Omnibus Survey commissioned by Lifeline Australia indicate that an alarming 91% of adult Australians feel stress in at least one important area of their lives. 

The survey also found that almost half (47%) of adult Australians feel very stressed about one part of their life.

The survey was commissioned by Lifeline Australia in the lead up to its national stress down day on 24 July, known as Stress Down on 24/7.

72% of respondents in full and part-time work cited Work as a cause of stress. Around two thirds of respondents indicated that they felt stress caused by Finances (67%) and Thoughts about the Future (65%). Health (55%) and Personal Relationships (41%) were the other life factors polled.

CEO of Lifeline Australia, Dawn O’Neil, said that while some level of stress in our lives is normal, the degree of stress we are now dealing with should not be something that we take for granted as a culture.

“These figures reveal an alarming rate of stress. I don’t believe that as a society we should just accept that our lives today are more stressful than in the past. We need to look at ways we can take responsibility for our stress levels before prolonged stress causes harm to our physical and mental health,” Ms O’Neil said.

Commenting on the results, Professor Ian Hickie, Executive Director of the University of Sydney’s Brain & Mind Research Institute and supporter of Lifeline’s Stress Down on 24/7, said that Australia needs to urgently address the toll that stress is taking on our physical and emotional wellbeing.

“Prolonged exposure to chronic, unrelenting stress is a killer. We just cannot function under this sort of pressure. We need to urgently address the issue of stress both as individuals and as a society.

“We must develop strategies, today, to deal with and reduce the level of stress in our lives. We have to bring balance back into our lives. As individuals we need to act now to bring practical and achievable stress reducing techniques into our daily lives.

Just admitting that we feel stress and being aware of what causes it, is a good start. Being more physically active, reducing our intake of alcohol, connecting with people socially, planning for time out, are all things we can do immediately.

“We need to opt in to do things to take control, rather than opt out because we are too stressed.

“As a society we must talk about stress, highlight the issue in the public arena and give people the techniques to deal with stress. This survey confirms that stress is an issue for the overwhelming majority of Australians,” Professor Hickie concluded.

Ms O’Neil went on to say that all Australian’s need to take control of managing their own stress levels – to know how much stress is normal, when stress is doing harm, and how to take control. “That is why Lifeline devised the idea of a national stress down day – Stress Down on 24/7. On 24 July we want all Australians to stop and think about developing positive habits to reduce stress and remember that help is available when stress becomes overwhelming.

“The campaign supports two goals for Lifeline. Firstly to create awareness about emotional health and wellbeing and secondly to call for public financial support to ensure that we can continue providing vital, low cost services to the whole community.

“Lifeline’s 24 hour telephone counselling service continues to answer around 1,200 calls every day across Australia,” Ms O’Neil said.

For more information on Stress Down on 24/7 or to make a donation to Lifeline, go to stressdown.org.au

About Lifeline

For over 45 years Lifeline has provided access to mental health support services that connect Australians with care.

Lifeline connects people to care when it’s needed through a range of national and local services, including a 24 hour telephone counselling line - 13 11 14.

Lifeline receives over one million contacts from help-seekers each year via phone, web-based and face-to-face mediums. Dedicated volunteers also continue to answer around 1,200 calls each day on the Lifeline 24 hour telephone counselling line.

Lifeline delivers a range of national services that promote emotional wellbeing, encourage help seeking and deliver self help resources. Services that address more specific issues such as domestic violence, family and relationship concerns, financial counselling, suicide prevention and bereavement are also offered through a network of Lifeline Centres operating from over 60 locations Australia wide.

Lifeline’s work is made possible by the dedication over 11,000 volunteers.

Lifeline’s services are more in demand than ever before and this increasing demand is likely to continue.

Lifeline relies on community support to ensure that it is able to continue providing vital services that connect people with care, into the future.

Media Contact: Michael Byrne, ZOO PR & Events (ph: 02 6260 8777 or 0412 690 429)