Ouataouais Residents The Most Stressed Out in the Country

By HOLLY LAKE, OTTAWA SUN

IF YOU want stress, it's only a river away.

According to Statistics Canada data released yesterday, Outaouais residents are the most stressed out in the country.

As part of the Canadian Community Health Survey, 28.3% of Outaouais adults reported that most of their days are either quite or extremely stressful.

At 26% overall, Quebecers seem generally frazzled, compared to about 23% in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Ontario and Canada.

Although the survey didn't deal with why Outouais residents are so stressed, Laurent M. Lapierre, an assistant professor in the University of Ottawa's school of management, says work and family are usually the culprits.

And if it's not one of the two, it's the stress created by trying to balance both important life roles.
"The work-family conflict has been given more light in the media relative to the others. But one shouldn't dismiss the others," Lapierre says.

Job insecurity, role ambiguity, interpersonal conflicts and work hours can all lead to stress, as can being underworked or given work you're not trained to do.

DUAL ROLES

Experts suggest stress costs the economy billions each year. What's clear is that people are more stressed today, particularly with more dual-income families eliminating stereotypical roles. Now both parents often do everything.

"And they're busier at work than ever before. Expectations keep going up. People have to work harder, yet they still have to take care of their families," Lapierre says.

Couple this with the "sandwich generation" -- people raising their children and taking care of their aging parents.

Something has to give, says Dr. Zul Merali, president and CEO of University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research. If a part of the body has an underlying issue, adding stress will exacerbate it.

He compares the body to a car with a weak tire. Continue to drive it hard and the tire will blow.
Stress and mental illness often go hand in hand. And some may have a genetic predisposition to develop an illness. That in itself may not be enough to cause it to show up, but adding in stress may well trigger it.

"I don't think people are aware (of how stressed they are)," Merali says. "They think it's part of every day experience."

Some thrive on it. Merali concedes stress is not always negative. The body is capable of dealing with short bouts of stress followed by long stretches of calm.

But stress is now experienced on a chronic basis and it follows people home via BlackBerries, cellphones and computers. "If you cannot give your body a chance to recoup and repair, the impact of the stressor builds and eventually something gives," Merali warns.