Three-Quarters (72%) of Canadians Are Experiencing an Uncomfortable Level of Stress; Number Jumps to Nine in Ten (90%) Among 18-24 Year Olds

Toronto, ON - An alarming three-quarters (72%) of Canadians are experiencing an uncomfortable level of stress in their day-to-day lives, according to a new poll conducted by Ipsos Loyalty on behalf of Sun Life Financial. Less than three in ten (28%) say that nothing is causing them excessive or uncomfortable levels of stress at this time.

Younger Canadians, however, are most likely to be experiencing such excessive stress levels. Nine in ten (90%) of Canadians, aged 18-24, say they're experiencing an uncomfortable level of stress, which is the highest level among any age group. Eight in ten (80%) of Canadians 25-34 and 35-44 years of age feel this level of stress, while three-quarter (77%) of those 45-54 feel the same way. Senior Canadians, however, are the least likely to feel such heavy stress burdens. Only a slight majority of those aged 55-64 (57%) and 65+ (51%) are experiencing excessive levels of stress.

Finances and work life are two of the areas causing Canadians such levels of stress. Four in ten (44%) say that `personal or household finances' are a cause of such excessive and uncomfortable stress levels. One-quarter (26%) say `their work life' is an area that causes them to feel an uncomfortable level of stress. The following table provides a list of sources of such stress and what proportion of Canadians believe such a source is a cause for their uncomfortable stress levels they experience:

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A big reason why many Canadians are so stressed is the instability in today's economy leading to them taking jobs that don't make full use of their skills and abilities. Three in ten (28%) of Canadians believe they are `currently under-employed or under-utilized', while two in ten (16%) feel `currently over-extended or over-employed'. Majority (56%), however, feel `just about right' given their employment status.

Again, when it comes to feeling under-utilized or under-employed, younger Canadians are most likely to feel this way. Four in ten of those aged 18-24 (39%) and 25-34 (38%) feel under-employed. Conversely, these two age groups (26% - 18-24, 22% - 25-34 are the most likely to say that they are also over-extended or over-employed. Senior Canadians, on the other hand, are the most likely to feel content with their current situation. Seven in ten (69%) of Canadians aged 55-65 and nine in ten (87%) of those over the age of 65 feel just about right.

Although three-quarters (72%) of Canadians rate their emotional health as `very good' or `excellent', this number changes when factoring in current employment status. Three-quarters (75%) of Canadians working full-time believe they have `very good' or `excellent', while two-thirds (67%) of those who are working part-time assess their emotional health similarly. Those without a job, however, are not as likely to rate their emotional health so positively. Just over half (56%) of unemployed Canadians assess their emotional health as `very good' or `excellent'.

Many employees think employers have an important part to play in managing stress in the workplace. Eight in ten (80%) Canadians believe that employers have a role in helping their employees manage stress and promote good emotional and psychological well-being. Less than one in ten (7%) believe that employers shouldn't have a role in managing stress and promoting good emotional and psychological well-being. Another one in ten (13%), however, don't know what role employers should play in managing stress in the workplace.

Approximately one-quarter (25%) of Canadians believe they `do not have the support they need to manage stress', although three-quarters (73%) believe `they have all the support they need to manage stress' and 3% don't know if they have the necessary support they need. Nearly half (46%) of unemployed Canadians report not having the support they need to manage stress, nearly twice that of Canadians working full-time (24%) or part-time (26%). Younger Canadians are also the most likely to feel like they don't have the support needed to manage stress. Over a third (37%) of Canadians aged 18-24, who are experiencing excessive levels of stress, believe they don't have enough support to manage stress, more than those aged 25-34 (26%), 35-44 (32%), 45-54 (29%), 55-64 (16%), and 65+ (13%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between June 29th and July 16th, 2012, on behalf of Sun Life Financial. For this survey, a sample of 3,113 Canadians from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls are calculated using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to +/- 2 percentage point of all Canadians. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. For more information on how to credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website at http://ipsos-na.com/dl/pdf/research/public-affairs/IpsosPA_CredibilityIntervals.pdf

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.572.4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 84 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,363 billion (1.897 billion USD) in 2011.

Visit www.ipsos-na.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.