Americans were already pretty stressed out in 2019. In its 13th annual "Stress in America" survey, the American Psychological Association found that stresses about specific issues such as health care and mass shootings were particularly high. Climate change, discrimination, and the upcoming election were also significant sources of stress, each increasing from the previous year. Now, with the coronavirus pandemic in the mix, Americans are struggling with a whole new set of worries. According to a recent poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 39% of U.S. adults say worry or stress related to COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their mental health, with 12% saying it has had a "major" impact. Among adults in households who have experienced income or job loss due to the pandemic, 46% say their mental health has been impacted negatively. Related: 5 ways to support employee mental health (and why it matters) Not every city in the country is experiencing stress at the same level of intensity. A new study from WalletHub shows where Americans are coping the best—and where they're struggling the hardest. For their study, WalletHub compared 182 cities, including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. Each city was evaluated across metrics including stresses around work, finances, family, and health & safety. According to the APA study, work and money are the most commonly mentioned personal stressors. "Work stress comes from 2 dimensions: demand and control," says Lioudmila Praslova, director of organizational psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California. She recommends "giving people control over when or how they complete the work helps alleviate much of the stress. Another way to increase the sense of control is by supporting employee voice – the ability to provide meaningful input on not just their immediate jobs, but the broader organizational functions. Voice also supports another core human need – to belong. Belonging can be further enhanced by demonstrating empathy and understanding at work – which can be as simple as asking how someone is doing and actually listening to the answer." See our slideshow above for the five least and most stressed cities in the U.S., and click here to read the full study. Read more: |

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