Middle-Aged Americans More Stressed Today than in 1990s

middle-aged
Adjective
• (of a person) aged between 40 and 65
Downton Abbey is a very popular TV show among middle-aged women.

Range
Noun
• the area between the lowest and highest possible numbers on a scale
I really want to buy this car, but it's outside of my price range.

Psychologist
Noun
• a scientist who studies human behavior and the brain
According to psychologists, checking work emails at home is a common source of
stress.
It can take almost ten years to become a fully trained psychologist.
Finance
Noun
• the money that a person or organization has, and how it is managed
I need to spend less money and get my finances under control.
My finances are in good shape at the moment.

pressure
Noun
• ˈa feeling of stress or anxiety caused by demands on one's time or energy
I'm under a lot of pressure at work.
She feels a lot of pressure from her parents to get married and have children.
I can't work under pressure.
Middle-Aged Americans More Stressed Today than in 1990s
A new study has found that Americans aged between 45 and 65 may be much more
stressed today than people in that same age range were in the 1990s.
A team of researchers led by Penn State University looked at data from 1,499 adults in
1995, and data from 782 adults in 2012.
Both groups were interviewed every day for eight days, and were asked about
anything stressful they had experienced in the previous 24 hours. This included things
like arguments with family and friends, and problems at work.
The study, published in American Psychologist, found that 2% of adults experienced
more stress in the 2010s than the 1990s. However, among those aged 45 to 64, 19%
experienced more stress in the 2010s.
David M. Almeida of Penn State University said the researchers were very surprised
that so many middle-aged Americans were more stressed.
Middle-aged people were also 17% more likely to think that stress would affect their
future plans. The same age group was also 27% more likely to believe that their
finances would be affected by stress in the 2010s than people that age in the 1990s.
Healthline.com reports that Almeida and his team had expected adults to be more
stressed now than in the 1990s — but he said they thought it would be people in their
20s and 30s who would be most stressed.
Almeida says the research shows that middle-aged Americans seem to have more
pressure on them now. For example, they might be looking after young adult children
while also taking care of older family members. And at work, they are more likely to be
in management roles with responsibility for many people.
• What are your thoughts on the findings of this study?
• What do you imagine is the most common cause of stress among middle-aged
people?
• When would you say is usually the least stressful time in a person's life? Why do
you think so?
• What's your favorite way to blow off steam when you're angry or stressed?
• What's the most stressful job you've ever had? What made it so stressful?
• Which of the people you know would you say has the least stressful job?
• If given the choice, at what age would you like to retire? Why?
• Is there anything you plan to do more of once you retire? Please explain your
answer.
• What do you imagine is the most difficult thing about being retired? Please explain
your answer.
• Would you rather retire in a city or somewhere in the countryside? Why?