Younger Americans – those between the ages of 18 to 34 – are more stressed than any other age group, according to a new Polaris Marketing Research study. In addition, a new American Psychological Association study, Stress in America, explains women are stressed more than their male counterparts and are more likely to exhibit psychosomatic symptoms of stress such as headaches, upset stomach, or crying.

via Polaris Marketing Research

via APA's "Stress in America"

What intrigues me most about these two studies is the level of stress young women normally have – without any illness or chronic disease. The adolescent and young adult population, or those between the ages of 15 to 39, are the largest uninsured population in the U.S., and when a life-threatening illness, such as cancer, impacts them, it can be biopsychosocially devastating. Distress related to illness can only compound the normal stress of this population. Nurses and other healthcare professionals need to be aware of this and take actions, such as education, ongoing encouragement, and connection to resources, to reduce stress and distress in their younger, specifically female, patients.