Tuesday, January 23, 2007; HE01

54 percent of Americans

are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives.

62 percent of Americans say work has a significant impact on stress levels.

73 percent of Americans name money as the number one factor that affects their stress level.

Increasing numbers of children, teenagers and college students report feeling under stress.

Sources: American Psychological Association 2004

survey, American Institute of Stress, National Center

on Addiction and Substance Abuse

25 percent of workers have taken a day off from work to cope with stress.

66 percent of Americans say they are likely to seek help for stress.

Highly stressed teenagers are twice as likely to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs.

Stress contributes to such

life-threatening problems as heart attack, stroke, depression and infection, as well as to chronic aches and pains.