The state of the global economy seems to be on everyone’s mind and for some, it is taking a health toll. According to a UPI report, the majority of U.S. women polled in a recent survey report that the sagging economy is having a negative impact on their mental health. The American Psychiatric Association recently conducted a survey that examined the impact of the economic crisis on the mental well-being of women throughout the nation, as well as in Clinton Country, Ohio. This particular community has been hit hard with the recent elimination of 5,000 jobs by air freight company DHL. As many as two-thirds of women in Clinton County report that the economy has had a negative impact on their mental health, nearly 25 percent more than the impact felt nationally. Just over half of the women surveyed in the U.S. report higher mental issues as a result of the sagging economy. Stress was also examined in this study and researchers determined that the women of Clinton Country were more likely to experience higher levels – 45 percent versus 33 percent nationally. These women were also more frustrated, anxious, irritable and suffered from insomnia or oversleeping. “Even if people are working, it’s emotionally draining to live with a constant fear of losing a job,” said Dr. Joseph Locala, president of the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association in the UPI report. “To help get through these uncertain times, it’s important to find positive ways to cope — whether it’s spending time with friends and family, hobbies, exercising or talking with a clergy member or mental health professional.” To better understand why these women are struggling, it is important to note that they rank the ability to provide food, clothing and education for their families, relationships with family and friends and personal finances, such as mortgages and retirement savings, as more important than their own mental and physical health. When they lose the ability to provide, they lose the ability to relax and enjoy a healthy life.
