High Stress: Delco Ranks 58th of 67 Counties For COVID Stress: Study

DELAWARE COUNTY—Delaware County residents have one of higher levels of stressflation, or stress caused by staying home during the pandemic, in Pennsylvania, accordingto a study.

The county with the highest "stressflation over the last five years is Cameron. More specifically, citizens there had a 4% increase in physical stress as well as a 6% increase in mental stress in the last year.

My Biosource, a COVID-19 research center headquartered in San Diego, Calif., prepared the research.

MyBioSource.com, a biotechnical products distribution company, conducted a study of physical and mental distress data from County Health Rankings over the last 5 years (from 2017 to 2021) in counties across Pennsylvania.

From longer work hours to increased demands at home, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Americans to new levels of stress in almost every aspect of their lives.

Two years of COVID-related health worries, Americans are faced with financial concerns as high inflation leads to a cost of living crisis for many.

Here is the ranking for counties in southeastern Pennsylvania:

• Chester (1)
• Bucks (2)
• Montgomery (3)
• Delaware (58)
• Philadelphia (62)

States with the highest stress inflation:

• Maine: 6% stress inflation.
• North Dakota: 5% stress inflation.
• Ohio: 5% stress inflation.
• Kansas 4% stress inflation.
• Michigan: 4% stress inflation.

States with the lowest stress inflation rates in the country:

• New York: 2% stress deflation
• Wyoming: 1% stress deflation.
• Maryland: 1% stress deflation
• Rhode Island: 0% flat
• 46. North Carolina: 0% flat.

Many people have become familiar with the feeling of being stressed, which is understandable given the pandemic-related events of the past few years,' says a spokesperson with MyBioSource.com

"Chronic stress can have seriously 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. The full county breakdown is available here.

More information is available here . A link to a spreadsheet used in the study is available here.