June 2023
Stress and anxiety are among the most prevalent contributors to reduced wellbeing, lost productivity, and impaired quality of life, yet their day-to-day symptom burden and functional consequences are often under-characterised outside clinical populations. The relationship between stress, sleep, diet, and coping behaviour is increasingly recognised as bidirectional and self-reinforcing. This study aimed to characterise the prevalence and frequency of stress and anxiety across a broad adult sample, the symptoms through which they are most commonly experienced, their behavioural and functional impact - including on diet, work, and social participation - and the strategies people use to cope, together with how effective those strategies are perceived to be. The survey was conducted by DR.VEGAN®.
A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 545 adults. Individual-level response data were available for all analyses. The survey captured age, gender, and diet; self-described stress level and the frequency of anxious or stressed feelings over the preceding three months; the full range of symptoms experienced during stress or anxiety (multiple responses permitted) and the symptoms found most impactful; behavioural and functional impacts, including effects on diet, work attendance, social participation, and perceived employer support; and the coping strategies used, each rated for perceived effectiveness. The sample skewed female (86.8%) and toward midlife and older adults, with 75.2% aged 45 or over, a demographic profile relevant to the interpretation of the findings.
Stress was both common and persistent. Over the preceding three months, 55.8% of respondents described their stress as high (43.7%) or overwhelming (12.1%), with only 1.3% reporting being stress-free. The frequency of anxious or stressed feelings was striking: 51.9% experienced them at least once a day, including 15.4% who felt anxious or stressed for most of the day, every day, and 76.1% at least once a week. Energy levels reflected this burden, with 68.4% regularly or always wishing they had more energy. See Figure 1.
| Stress and anxiety measure | % of respondents |
|---|---|
| Self-described stress level (last 3 months) | |
| Overwhelming | 12.1% |
| High | 43.7% |
| High or overwhelming (combined) | 55.8% |
| Manageable | 42.9% |
| Stress-free | 1.3% |
| Frequency of feeling anxious or stressed | |
| Most of the day, every day | 15.4% |
| At least once a day (incl. above) | 51.9% |
| At least once a week or more | 76.1% |
The symptom burden of stress was dominated by sleep and cognitive effects. Poor sleep or insomnia was the most commonly reported symptom (69.2%), followed by difficulty concentrating (56.3%) and mood swings or irritability (53.4%). Notably, more than a third (35.2%) reported worsening gut health during periods of stress, reflecting the recognised gut–brain link. See Figure 2.
| Symptom of stress / anxiety | n (of 545) | % experiencing |
|---|---|---|
| Poor sleep or insomnia | 377 | 69.2% |
| Difficulty concentrating | 307 | 56.3% |
| Mood swings or irritability | 291 | 53.4% |
| Feeling weak or tired | 263 | 48.3% |
| Worsening gut health | 192 | 35.2% |
| Distracting or obtrusive thoughts | 180 | 33.0% |
| Increased heart rate | 171 | 31.4% |
| Headaches | 160 | 29.4% |
| Sense of impending danger or panic | 157 | 28.8% |
| Uncontrollable worry | 146 | 26.8% |
Stress reached well beyond subjective discomfort into measurable behavioural and functional consequences. Two-thirds (67.2%) reported that their dietary choices become less healthy when stressed, a self-reinforcing loop, given the role of nutrition in mood regulation, and over half (53.6%) had avoided social situations because of their stress or anxiety. The workplace impact was considerable: 28.6% had taken time off work due to stress or anxiety, yet 71.9% felt their employers do not do enough to support staff. See Figure 3.
| Behavioural and functional impact | % of respondents |
|---|---|
| Dietary choices become less healthy when stressed | 67.2% |
| Avoided social situations due to stress / anxiety | 53.6% |
| Have taken time off work due to stress / anxiety | 28.6% |
| Feel employers do NOT do enough to support staff | 71.9% |
| Regularly or always lacking in energy | 68.4% |
Respondents favoured accessible, lifestyle-based coping strategies over pharmacological ones. The most widely used approaches were going for a walk or being outside (66.8%), taking vitamins and supplements (53.2%), and exercise (44.8%). Crucially, these lifestyle approaches were also rated the most effective: 96.7% found exercise effective and 95.7% found walking or being outside effective, compared with 64.2% for alcohol — the strategy with one of the lowest perceived benefits despite being used by nearly a quarter of respondents. See Figure 4.
| Coping strategy | % who use it | % rating it effective |
|---|---|---|
| Go for a walk / be outside | 66.8% | 95.7% |
| Vitamins & supplements | 53.2% | 79.4% |
| Exercise | 44.8% | 96.7% |
| Try to sleep | 31.6% | 64.1% |
| Have an alcoholic drink | 22.9% | 64.2% |
| Therapy or counselling | 13.6% | 87.7% |
| Anti-depressants | 11.6% | 82.3% |
| Anti-anxiety medication | 10.5% | 76.4% |
This survey of 545 adults demonstrates that stress and anxiety are highly prevalent, frequently daily, and carry a substantial symptom and functional burden — most prominently through poor sleep, impaired concentration, mood disturbance, and unhealthy dietary change. The strong co-occurrence of stress with sleep and gut symptoms reflects the interconnected physiology of the stress response and points to the value of integrated approaches that address sleep, nutrition, and stress together rather than in isolation. The functional consequences, social avoidance in over half and work absence in more than a quarter, underline that stress is not merely a subjective state but a driver of measurable life impact, compounded by a widespread perception that workplace support is inadequate. Encouragingly, the strategies respondents found most effective were accessible and lifestyle-based: exercise, time outdoors, and nutritional support all outperformed alcohol, which was both commonly used and poorly rated. These findings support a preventive, lifestyle-orientated approach to stress management, in which nutrition and supplementation may play a supporting role alongside physical activity and time outdoors. As a self-reported, cross-sectional survey of a predominantly female, midlife sample, the findings describe associations rather than causal relationships, and prospective research would be needed to confirm the direction of the observed links.
Keywords: stress, anxiety, mental wellbeing, sleep, gut–brain axis, coping strategies, workplace wellbeing, diet and stress, lifestyle intervention, cross-sectional survey
Survey date: 2024–2025 | Sample size: N = 545 | Population: 87% female; 75% aged 45+ | Data type: Individual-level responses
Media enquiries: Please contact [email protected] | www.drvegan.com
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