By Joye C. Anestis, M.S.
Has the state of the American economy caused you to feel worse? If so, you're definitely not alone. According to a new national survey, in conjunction with current economic instability, Americans are experiencing an overall increase in stress and an overall decrease in emotional well-being. This finding comes from Gallup (yes, those same folks who do the political polls). They have been surveying 1,000 Americans daily since January 2008 with questions relevant to their mental health. Coined the Gallup-Healthway Well-Being Index and intended to be "the Dow Jones of Health," the poll has documented what many of us have been feeling, that our emotions have been shifting downward right along with the economy. In a recent report, Gallup finds that there has been an increase in individuals classified by the index as "suffering" in the last year. They have state-by-state data as well, identifying which states have the highest well-being (Utah, Wyoming, Hawaii) and which have the lowest (West Virginia, Kentucky, and my home state of Mississippi).
Naturally, using phone surveys to gather data is subject to quite a bit of error (e.g., a host of third variables could be involved, sampling bias); however, the results are compelling and make logical sense. Similar patterns have been observed in other times of national crisis. I'm wondering how the economic downturn is affecting the practice of clinical psychology. Are there any changes in the prevalence of clients? How about in the types of concerns clients are bringing to the office?
Ok, that's enough of me co-ruminating about the economy via the internet...what are some proactive things we can do to help ourselves, as both mental health professionals & consumers of mental health services?
- Two weeks ago, Robert Leahy made an excellent contribution to this magazine about coping with financial anxiety. He offered practical tips on ways to keep worries from consuming your life. Many of these tips can be also found in his excellent book, The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You
. - One of my favorite tips in The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You
that I have often used with clients is learning to distinguish between productive and unproductive worry. Productive worry is problem-solving that results in a plan. Unproductive worry is often just rumination, running unhelpful thoughts through your head over and over again without any concrete planning (e.g., the "what ifs" - "what if I lose my house?", "what if I go bankrupt?"). Unproductive worries make us feel worse because we can't do anything about them - they usually are about something that hasn't even happened yet!
- Cognitive restructuring is helpful in dealing with those unrealistic thoughts and unproductive worries about the current situation.
- Behavioral activation is also key in a time like this. Maintain social support and do not become isolated. As the Gallup data indicates, we're all feeling the crunch of the current economic state - you are definitely not alone.
And remember, it is completely normal to be worried and stressed in times like these - in fact, a substantial proportion of the country is suffering from these same fears. There is nothing pathological about moderate experiences of anxiety in stressful moments. However, if your worries and stress prohibit you from functioning in life, don't hesitate to seek help. There are effective treatments for your concerns and addressing your worries through effective treatment will leave you in a better position to address whatever obstacles you might face.
Joye Anestis is a doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology program at Florida State University.
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