Levels of intense stress revealed in Australia’s Gen-Y

29 June 2015

The Co-op (a BCCM member), in partnership with BDO, have released the second White Paper from their 2015 Future Leaders Index which has delved into the lifestyles of 18-29 year old Australians. In particular, the research looks into the busyness, stress and health attitude of Australia’s Generation Y.

The findings themselves paint a concerning picture, with the majority frequently feeling busy, stressed and reporting high incidences of negative impacts on health and well-being. The report also reveals that many 18-29 year olds are facing a health deficit with a large proportion failing to do the minimum recommended amount of weekly exercise.

In summary, the White Paper found:

• The majority (65%) of Future Leaders feel busy either all the time, very often or quite often
• 9 in 10 (87%) claim that any time spent working creates at least some level of stress
• 82% suffer from one or more physical health issues when busy
• 8 in 10 (77%) suffer from one or more social or personal time issues when busy
• Three quarters (76%) suffer from one or more mental/emotional health issues when busy
• Half (49%) of all Future Leaders state they are either stressed all the time, very often or quite often

Interestingly, young women are twice as likely as men to feel stressed, with nearly two thirds saying they felt stressed often or all the time according to the research. Women report 10% to 20% higher prevalence for each of the physical, social and emotional health consequences of busyness, when compared with their male counterparts.

The first White Paper, which was released in May focused on the financial life of Generation Y while the third and final paper which is due out later this year will discuss their attitudes towards career and employment.