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| Are We Having Fun Yet? |
| LEHIGH VALLEY, PA, April 12, 2006 -- How many of us are truly happy and healthy compared to a decade ago? What role does health play in achieving equilibrium in our lives? A recent study conducted by the organization company, Day-Timers, Inc., asks these and many other questions, and compares the answers to its 1994 Time in America Study. A decade later, these findings provide some interesting, yet disturbing insights.
Anxiety and Depression Polling 1000 working Americans, the survey revealed that 18% admitted to being diagnosed or treated for depression in the last five years. 13% admitted to being diagnosed or treated for anxiety in the last five years. Of those respondents, 9% admitted to having been diagnosed or treated for both anxiety and depression. "Depression is at an all-time high," says Jeffrey L. Johnson, PhD, a former advertising executive and successful psychologist currently working on a book titled, The Hourglass Effect: Choice and Control in the Second Half of Life. "The meteoric rise in depression across all age groups is well documented," Dr. Johnson says. Will the pacesetting Boomers set the pace for depression as well? Are we happier today than 10 years ago? According to this study, the number of working Americans who reported being very happy dropped from 54% ten years ago to less than half (47%) today. "Boomers have grown up in an era of high and growing expectations where each generation expects more than the previous one," says Dr. Johnson. "Many experts have pointed out that financial success does not necessarily lead to happiness," Johnson states. "The belief that more money and more goods will make us happier is likely to result in the opposite. Boomers' out-of-control consumerism may boomerang later in life." How's our health? What are our goals and are we achieving them? 51% of working Americans said they had very good or excellent health in 1994. Today that number drops to 41% - a troubling 20% decline. The overwhelming majority has at least two health-related goals, including losing weight and becoming more fit; however, only 20% are achieving those goals. 44% point to "difficulty sticking with it" and 39% state they "can't find the time" to achieve their health-related goals. Are we successful and getting things done? Nearly half (40%) of workers said they were very or extremely successful in 1994, a number that plummeted to less than one-third (28%) today-a 30% decline. In 1994, 63% of American workers said they were very productive, versus only 41% today-a 35% decline. "More than any other generation, Boomers have blurred the line between needs and wants. Ultimately, it's their high expectations that present the problem. It is the ominous possibility that Boomers may not be able to simultaneously achieve financial success, high self-esteem, personal growth and fulfillment," says Dr. Johnson. Go to www.daytimer.com for info. Day-Timers, Inc. In business since 1947, Day-Timers has evolved into a company offering hundreds of organization tools that simplify the lives of consumers at work, home, school, and on the go. Day-Timers, Inc. is a subsidiary of ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE: ABD). About Dr. Jeffrey L. Johnson Dr. Johnson received his BBA in Psychology from Williams College and his MA and PhD in Psychology from New York University. He worked as a Psychologist for the New York City Department for the Aging and the New York State Office for the Aging. He conducted research at the Alice Brophy Third Age Center and taught graduate level psychology at Fordham University. Research methodology available upon request. CONTACT:
Frank Forestieri/Jeri Cohen |