Canadians and Stress: A Special Report

19 September 2002

Trends & Prospective

Toronto, ONTARIO - According to a poll conducted by Ipsos-Reid for CTV and the Globe and Mail, one in six Canadians (17%) agree that there has been a time in their life when they've been under so much stress that they've wanted to commit suicide. Important, given this finding, is that 85% of Canadians do not believe that it is a sign of personal weakness to seek professional help to deal with stress. As for what the main causes of stress in Canadian's lives are, their job or work (43%) and their finances (39%) are the most cited. At the same time, one in ten Canadians (10%) indicate that they have `no stress in their lives'.

Sleep patterns (48%) and personal health (41%) are the areas that Canadians say are the most negatively affected by the stress in their lives. On the other side, three in ten (31%) employed Canadians, say that the stress in their lives has had a positive impact on the `quality of work they do at work.'

The afternoon (noon to just before 5:30pm: 32%) appears to be typically the most stressful hours reported by Canadians, followed by the early part of the morning (5am to just before 8:30am: 19%), the rest of the morning (8:30am to just before noon: 15%), and the evening (5:30pm to just before 11:30pm: 12%). Overnight (11:30pm to just before 5am: 5%) appears to be the least stressful part of the day for Canadians. A significant minority (43%) of Canadians indicate that they feel they do not have the degree of control over their lives that they would like. Similarly, 46% say that they do not have the degree of control over their stress levels that they would like.

Exercise (46%) is the main way that Canadians report to relieve their stress, followed by reading (16%), and sports or hobbies (12%). Six percent report that they do not do anything to relieve their stress.

These are the findings of two Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail survey's conducted between February 12th and February 14th, and February 26th and February 28th, 2002. The poll results are based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians per wave with two separate questionnaires. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

One in Six (17%) Have Thought of Suicide When Under Stress

One in six Canadians (17%) agree that there has been a time in their life when they've been under so much stress that they've wanted to commit suicide.

Importantly, 85% of Canadians do not believe that it is a sign of personal weakness to seek professional help to deal with stress.

Work (43%) and Finances (39%) Top Causes of Stress for Canadians

As for the main causes of stress in Canadian's lives, their job or work (43%) and their finances (39%) are the most cited. Other causes of stress mentioned include children (10%), health (7%), school (5%), `too much to do/too little time' (4%), personal relationships/family members (3%), spouse or partner (3%), traffic/driving (3%), other family members health (3%), politics/government (2%), pace of life (2%) and home (2%). One in ten (10%) Canadians indicate that they have `no stress in their lives'.

Meanwhile, two-thirds (67%) of Canadians indicate that they put too much pressure on themselves, while the remaining one-third (33%) disagree with this view.

Four in ten (40%) say that they feel stressed because the world around them is changing too quickly, while in comparison 59% disagree with this view.

So what do parents (34% of Canadians report living with children under 18 years of age) perceive is the effect of this changing, stressful world on Canada's children? According to the study, six in ten Canadians (61%) with children living at home, express the view that their children are making a lot more decisions about their lives and their family than they did when they were a child. However, only one-third (34%) agree that they are so busy that their children have had to become more independent that they might otherwise have needed to.

Majority (55%) Say They Are More Cynical About Things

A majority (55%) of Canadians believe they are more cynical about things than they used to be, while 44% disagree that they have become more cynical.

One in three (30%) indicate that they feel lonely more frequently than they would like to, while an equal number (30%) say that loneliness is one of their greatest fears.

Sleep (48%) and Health (41%) Most Negatively Affected by Stress

Sleep patterns (negative effect 48%; positive effect 16%) and personal health (negative effect 41%; positive effect 20%) are the areas that Canadians say are the most negatively affected by the stress in their lives, followed by relations at home or with other family members (negative effect 33%; positive effect 22%), and on their sex lives (negative effect 23%; positive effect 14%). The effect of stress on relations with friends is seen by an equivalent number as having a negative effect (21%) as having a positive effect (24%).

Stress and the Workplace

Three in ten (31%) employed Canadians, say that the stress in their lives has had a positive impact on the `quality of work they do at work', while one quarter (24%) say stress has a positive impact on their relations with co-workers. This compares to the 23% who indicate that stress has had a negative impact on their quality of work on the job and 19% regarding their relations with co-workers.

At the same time that Canadians cite their job as a source of stress in their lives, almost half (48%) agree that having stress shows that you're involved in important things. In comparison just over half (52%) disagree with this view.

An equal number (47%) indicate that people sometimes tell others they're stressed just to impress them.

While Canadians indicate that their work or job is a source of stress in their lives, they do not appear to be malicious towards their boss or co-workers for this fact. In fact, only one in ten (13%) employed Canadians indicate that they `have felt so much stress at times at [their] work that [they] have done or seriously thought about doing things to get back at [their] boss or co-workers in some way'.

Modern communication devices such as cell phones and email are thought of as causing stress, with one in five (18%) reporting that they feel stress when they haven't checked their phone or email messages.

The Afternoon (31%) Most Stressful Time Period for Canadians

As for why they feel the most stress at that particular time of the day, the largest number indicate that it is related to their work or to school, with specific mentions of general job/work related (20%), end of the workday (11%), starting work (8%), getting ready for work (6%), other mentions of work (5%) and school/homework (8%). A second general area includes reasons associated with home life, including getting children ready or picking them up (9%), household chores (9%), and other family problems or responsibilities (7%). Other specific reasons cited include commuting to and from work (7%), feeling tired or fatigued (7%), just that it is the busiest time of the day (5%) and financial problems/bills (3%).

Four in Ten (43%) Canadians Say They Do Not Have The Degree of Control Over Their Lives They Would Like

A significant minority (43%) of Canadians indicate that they feel they do not have the degree of control over their lives that they would like.

Similarly, 46% say that they do not have the degree of control over their stress levels that they would like.

Exercise (46%) Top Way to Relieve Stress For Canadians

Exercise (46%) is the main way that Canadians report to relieve their stress, followed by reading (16%), sports or hobbies (12%). Other stress relievers employed by Canadians include socializing or going out (8%), time with family (7%), drinking or drugs (6%), listening to music (6%), watching TV (5%), meditating (5%), resting or relaxing (4%), talking (4%), working or keeping busy (3%), praying/going to church (3%), holiday/vacation (3%), taking a bath (3%), computer/video games (3%), watching movies (2%), sleeping (2%), eating well (2%), gardening/yard work (1%), taking prescription drugs or anti-depressants (1%). Six percent report that they do not do anything to relieve their stress.

To view the complete release and the tables, please open the attached PDF files.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900

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