Health

Mass. is one of the most stressed states when it comes to education, according to study

Maine wasn't far behind, coming in at number eight.

By Susannah Sudborough

November 13, 2022

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Massachusetts is the third most stressed state about education in the country, a new analysis found.

The report, by PlushCare — a telemedicine website, found that people in only two other states — Montana and South Dakota — were more stressed about their education.

Nearby Maine also made the top 10 list of states most stressed about education, coming in at number eight.

PlushCare’s analysis is based on four million geotagged tweets from 340 U.S. cities that matched search terms in the following categories: money, careers, relationships, education, social media, and the news.

It analyzed the stress level of each tweet using a stress detection tool developed at England’s Wolverhampton University, TensiStrength, and calculated the percentage of stressed tweets overall and in each category in every state.

In Massachusetts, nearly 46% of all education-related tweets indicated stress, while in Maine, 44% of all education-related tweets indicated stress.

Overall, Hawaii was found to be the most stressed state, while South Carolina was found to be the least stressed.

No New England states made the top 10 for most stressed states, but Massachusetts was close, coming in as the 13th most stressed state, and New Hampshire wasn’t far behind at number 18.

Similarly, Boston ranked the 24th most stressed city out of 350, while Oakland, California, took the number one spot in that category.

Some New England states made the top 10 in specific categories. New Hampshire was found to be the state with the most career-based stress, with 47% of all work-related tweets indicating stress.

PlushCare’s analysis indicated that many of these tweets were about understaffing in hospitals.

“Social workers in New Hampshire are leaving their jobs,” one local tweeted. “And it is very hard to find qualified replacements. It amazes me how much incredible work they do under tremendous stress.”

Vermont was found to have the second most money-based stress in the country, with 47% of all money-related tweets indicating stress. Nearby Rhode Island came in at number seven on that list, and New Hampshire just missed the top 10, coming in at number 11.

If stress goes untreated, chronic stress can develop. Over time, chronic stress can contribute to a range of physical and mental disorders, from a weakened immune system and high blood pressure, to sexual dysfunction and anxiety disorders, PlushCare wrote in its analysis.

PlushCare’s tips for coping with stress:

• Exercise regularly and maintain a balanced, healthy diet.
• Develop a bedtime routine that will allow you to get a good night’s sleep each night.
• Talk to people you trust and take the time to foster healthy relationships with loved ones.
• Practice deep breathing, meditation, and other relaxation techniques.
• Acknowledge your stress levels and reach out for professional help if it’s getting worse.
• Limit the time you spend consuming news media.

For more advice on how to cope with stress, checkout the latest guidelines from the CDC available here.