Ireland is the sixth ‘most stressful’ country in Europe, study finds

Study examined European countries on various categories including depression and anxiety prevalence

Ireland has been ranked the sixth ‘most stressful’ country in Europe. The study, carried out by CBD experts CBDolie.nl examined European countries on various categories to discover the continent’s most stressed countries.

These categories included;

• Depression prevalence – estimated share of the population who had depressive disorders in the past year, whether or not they were diagnosed
• Anxiety prevalence – estimated share of the population who had anxiety disorders in the past year, whether or not they were diagnosed
• Reports of stress levels – % of respondents who said they experienced this feeling frequently.
• Reports of sadness levels – % of respondents who said they experienced this feeling frequently
• Reports of enjoyment levels – % of respondents who said they have not experienced this feeling frequently
• Average weekly hours worked – average number of actual weekly hours worked per week for ages 15-64

Each factor was then included in an index to create an overall ‘Stress Score’ out of 100.

The study revealed that Greece is the most stressed country in Europe, totalling the highest Stress Score of 71.8 out of 100. Greece topped the list after scoring high for both reports of stress and depression prevalence. Greece has a depression prevalence of 6.52%, the highest rate in Europe as well as 57% of respondents reporting frequent stress, the second highest rate of all European countries.

Greece is followed closely by Turkey (71.2), then Portugal (68.4), Malta (51.4) and Cyprus (50.4).

Overall, Ireland received a Stress Score of 49.2 out of 100, putting it in sixth place.

In contrast, Denmark ranks as the least stressed country in Europe with a Stress Score of 21.7 out of 100. When broken down, only 12% of respondents claimed to often feel little enjoyment and pleasure, the second lowest behind Iceland, low feelings of frequent stress at just 21% of respondents citing this and only 5.43% of respondents feeling anxious frequently.

Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for CBDolie.nl said: “The past five years have provided a constant source of uncertainty for many due to increased cost-of-living, the pandemic and more, so it’s no surprise to see that stress levels across Europe are so high.

“This list highlights that all around the continent people live in varying situations regarding their lifestyles, yet clearly some countries are more likely to result in their residents having sleepless nights due to stress.

“Stress can be reduced in numerous ways, ranging from small changes in lifestyle to consultations with medical professionals, however these findings offer a fascinating insight into the geographical disparity in Europe when it comes to feelings of worry and stress.”