MOSCOW, 21 July 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey on Russian perceptions of stress and high-stress activities.
Young years, no money, and megalopolis
More than half of Russians (57%) have faced stressful situations this year; 26% of them or every fourth experienced stress quite often, several times a month. Stress resistance increases with age: 79% of young persons have felt stressed vs 42% of older Russians. Low economic status is one of important factors that contribute to stress (72%), along with high urbanization (68% of residents of Moscow and St Petersburg have experienced stress) and active Internet usage (70%). Women are more likely to report stress than men (61% vs 52% respectively).
Respondents who are less likely to report stress are persons aged 60 and older (57% have not faced stressful situations; no more than 13%, several times a month), people living in rural area or small towns under 100 thousand inhabitants (48-49%) and those who prefer watching TV (60%). Apparently, this is due to measured lifestyle, absence of job, and children who are grown. |
Despite the fact that stress is omnipresent in today’s society, only 7% of Russians have been to professionals who provide psychological help (psychologists, therapists, etc.); however half of them (3%) do it more often now. Those respondents who do it more frequently are young Russians aged 18-24 (15%) and the 35-44-year-olds (11%); Russians with low income (10%) and residents of Northwestern federal district (12%). Six percent of Russians watch psychological videos more often than before (23% of the 18-24-year-olds, i.e. every fourth or fifth).
Habit is a second nature
Many Russians say they have turned to effective practices. Today one-third of Russians socialize with friends and family more intensively than before (28%), especially young Russians aged 18-24 (38%) and those aged 35-44 (35%), as well as women (31% vs. 24% of men). More Russians also started to do sports, exercising (20%) – they are basically young respondents aged under 35 (32-29%) and residents of million-plus cities (25%). Another popular habit is watching TV - 15% of Russians and 31% of persons aged over 60 do it more frequently. Common bad habits are scrolling social media and using gadgets excessively (13%, each), smoking (11%) and procrastinating (8%).
Stress intensity has a poor impact on behavioral patterns. Persons who experience stress several times a month or more frequently do the following to cope with stress: socializing (31%), exercising (22%) spending mindless time on the phone and gadgets (19%), smoking (17%), scrolling social media (16%). Fifteen percent of Russians (each group) report to watch TV series and postpone important things to the last minute more often than before. In this group, more than 10% of respondents take more sedatives and watch more psychological videos than they did earlier (13-12%).
Top 5 Russian practices across different demographics:
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Causes of stress
Work is a major stressor for Russians (22% of respondents who have experienced stress this year). This is often mentioned by men (28% vs. 18% among women), Russians in economically active age of 25-44 (34-33%), respondents with good financial income (28%). Work is often cited by those respondents who experience stressful situation on a regular basis, several times a month (28% vs 17% of those who experience stress rarely). Special military operation and the situation in Ukraine is another major stressor for Russians (20%). Every tenth respondent says their anxiety is caused by unstable financial situation, lack of money, debts and loans (18% among the 18-24-year-olds). In the group of those Russians who have faced stressful situations rarely this year the third position is held by “death of a relative” (11%). Diseases and health issues are ranked second by those aged 60 and over (13%).
VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted July 10, 2022. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews using a stratified random sample based on a complete list of Russian mobile phone numbers. The data were weighted for social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
July 10, 2022 survey key effectiveness indicators: 1,600 respondents; cooperation rate (COOP1)* = 0.8470; minimum response rate (RR1)** = 0.0235; response rate (RR3)*** = 0.1470.
* The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.
** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers where it is unknown whether the subscribers meet the selected criteria or not.
*** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers with respect to the assessment of the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of cases of unknown eligibility.
Have you faced or not faced stressful situations this year? If you have, how often? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
| Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60+ |
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Often, several times a month | 26 | 22 | 29 | 45 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 13 |
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Rarely , 1-2 since early this year | 31 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 31 | 31 | 29 |
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No | 42 | 47 | 38 | 21 | 34 | 36 | 42 | 57 |
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Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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Let’s talk about professionals who provide psychological help (psychologists, psychoanalysts, therapists, etc.). Have you personally reached out to these professionals over the recent six months? If yes, do you do it more often, less often, or the same as before? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + | |
More often than before | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Less often than before | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The same as before | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
No | 93 | 94 | 92 | 85 | 94 | 89 | 96 | 96 |
Don’t know | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Now I’m going to read out a number of habits; over the recent six months have you started or not started to do anything from the list more often than before? If you have, what exactly do you do? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | |||||||||
Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + |
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Socializing, communicating with friends, relatives | 28 | 24 | 31 | 38 | 27 | 35 | 23 | 25 |
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Doing sports | 20 | 22 | 17 | 32 | 29 | 23 | 16 | 11 |
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Watching TV | 16 | 15 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 31 |
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Being constantly on social media | 13 | 13 | 14 | 28 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
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Being constantly on the phone, using gadgets excessively | 13 | 12 | 14 | 40 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
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Watching TV series | 12 | 8 | 16 | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 13 |
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Smoking | 11 | 17 | 6 | 25 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
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Postponing important things till the deadline | 8 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 |
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Going to church | 7 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
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Watching psychology videos | 6 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
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Sedatives | 6 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
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Playing computer games | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
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Drinking alcohol | 4 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
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Eating fast food | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
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Antidepressants | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
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Gambling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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None of the above-mentioned | 27 | 30 | 25 | 9 | 24 | 27 | 32 | 32 |
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Other | 11 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 |
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Don’t know | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
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You have said that you have experienced stressful situations this year. What do you think it was caused by? Up to three reasons can be cited (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who have faced stressful situations) | ||||||||
Total | Men | Women | Ages 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 + | |
Work / problems at work / work moments / professional activity | 22 | 28 | 18 | 14 | 34 | 33 | 19 | 6 |
Special operation / military operation / situation in Ukraine | 20 | 16 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 14 |
Financial difficulties / lack of money, debts, loans / low salaries/pensions | 10 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
Illness / health problems | 8 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
Death of a family member/relatives | 8 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
Family situations / relationship in the family / family problems | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Increase in prices, tariffs / inflation | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 4 |
Family member's illness | 6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
Grand children, children / problems/situations related to children, grandchildren | 6 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
Personal situations | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Studies / education | 4 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Pandemic / coronavirus / was ill with COVID-19 / my relatives were ill | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Economic situation in the country / crisis / exchange rates | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Unemployment, lay-offs / job loss / dismissal / difficulties searching for a job | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
Relationship with people | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Political situation in the country / government policies | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Foreign policy / country’s isolation / global situation | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Family/relatives went to the army / participate in the special operation | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Situation in the country | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Situation on the roads / driving a car | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Other | 7 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 11 |
Don’t know / refusal to answer | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 |