'Stressflation' Rates In Mercer County Is Among Lowest In NJ: Study

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Long work hours, high inflation and financial fears are causing increased stress levels for Americans.

But Mercer County residents have a very low rate of “stressflation,” according to a recent study.
“Stressflation” is a measurement of increased stress, both mentally and physically, due to factors like COVID-19 health worries, high inflation and financial concerns.

A biotech products distribution company, MyBioSource.com, recently conducted a study of physical and mental distress data from County Health Rankings over the past five years in New Jersey

And at 4 percent, Mercer County has among the lowest “stressflation” levels in the Garden State, according to the study.

The county with the highest “stressflation” over the last 5 years was Cumberland, with a 8 percent increase. More specifically, residents here had a 4 percent increase in both physical and mental stress.

Mercer County saw a 4 percent increase in stress levels over the past five years, with residents seeing a 2 percent increase in physical stress and 2 percent in mental stress.

The most Zen-like county, according to the study, was Hudson which had a 1 percent increase in the rate of mental stress, and a 0 percent change in physical stress.

“Many people have become familiar with the feeling of being stressed, which is understandable given the pandemic-related events of the past few years,’ a spokesperson for MyBioSource.com said in a statement.

“Chronic stress can have serious negative impacts on the body – both physically and mentally – and allowing it to build up may result in further detriment to your health over time. If you are unable to reduce your stress levels through relaxation techniques or exercise, please see a health professional.”

MyBioSource.com also broke down this data at a national and state level. The state with the highest stress inflation rate over the past 5 years was Maine at 6 percent, and New York saw the lowest stress inflation rate in the country. In fact, New York actually experienced a stress deflation rate of 2 percent.

Here are the top 5 NJ counties with the highest “stressflation” rates:

1. Cumberland
2. Salem
3. Atlantic
4. Cape May
5. Hunterdon

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