In December 2022, 37% of Americans rated their mental health as fair or poor. In addition, 26% of them said they expected to be more stressed in 2023.
Despite these overall figures, stress levels are not equal across the nation. In some states, people worry more than others about specific issues.
A WalletHub study compared the 50 states across "41 stress indicators." The company relied on four "key dimensions": 1) Work stress 2) Financial stress, 3) Family stress and 4) Health and safety stress.
The five most stressed states
- #1 Mississippi: residents of the Magnolia State are the most stressed in the country. The state earned this dubious title because of its high poverty rate, high divorce rate and few psychologists per capita, according to the report.
- #2 Louisiana: The Pelican State took second place in the ranking due in large part to residents expressing distress about their personal finances and family relationships.
- #3 New Mexico: inhabitants of the Land of Enchantment are not entirely content with their lives. Residents of this state reported feeling "more stressed" because of their work problems and "safety" and "health" conditions. As a result of these factors, it ranked third on the list.
- #4 West Virginia: The Mountain State ranks fourth on the list. Residents reported feeling "more stressed" because of job problems and poor economic and family conditions.
- #5 Nevada: In The Silver State, people are mostly distressed by problems at work and by factors related to health and safety. These reasons placed the state fifth on the list.
The five least stressed states
Minnesota, Utah, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Massachusetts are the states where residents live a quieter life and are less stressed by everyday occurrences.
