The most stressed states in the US are all conservative, a new mental health study shows.
The top three states suffering from the worst stress in America are Alaska, New Mexico and Louisiana, according to the study conducted by law firm Anidjar & Levine.
Each of the three states voted Republican in the last presidential election.
The study’s ‘stress score’ for a state considered its crime data, suicide rates, cost of living, air quality, cleanliness and percentage of population living in extreme poverty.
The study’s key takeaway was that Americans live should not overlook where they live.
For instance, Alaska’s isolation from the rest of the US paired with limited sunlight in the winter directly leads to greater stress for locals.
‘Living in a high-stress state affects not only your daily mood, but your physical health, decision-making, and overall safety, too,’ said Marc Anidjar, the managing partner of the law firm that conducted the study.
‘We’ve seen firsthand how chronic stress contributes to accidents, workplace injuries, and mental health emergencies that require legal support.’
Alaska residents are the most stressed in the US, an Anidjar & Levine studyshowed
Marc Anidjar said that high stress affected ‘not only your daily mood, but your physical health, decision-making and overall safety’ (File photo)
The state’s booming cost of living – 25 percent higher than the national average – also contributed to Alaskans’ unhappiness.
The state’s suicide rate more than tripled the rest of the US, the study said.
Anidjar said: ‘People dealing with constant financial strain, safety concerns, and poor living conditions face higher rates of accidents and mental health crises.’
In New Mexico, locals were most affected by crime and the cost of living.
The southern state had the second-highest suicide rate in the country at 22.76 cases per 100,000 residents.
More than eight percent of New Mexico’s population was estimated to be living in extreme poverty.
Anidjar said: ‘When people can’t afford safe housing or reliable transportation, they’re at greater risk for accidents.
New Mexico followed in second place thanks to its rising crime and cost of living
Louisiana, the US state with the most extreme poverty, received the third-highest ‘stress score’ in the study
The most stressed blue states were Oregon (Mt. Hood National Forest pictured left) and Washington (Seattle pictured right)
‘When they get hurt, they often lack resources for proper medical treatment or legal help.’
Louisiana also struggled with poverty, ranking as the state with the most extreme poverty in the US at nine percent.
Anidjar said the ‘poverty crisis’ in Louisiana could lead to locals experiencing ‘financial desperation.’
The most stressed blue state was Oregon, the study said, ranking with the fifth-highest ‘stress score.’ Washington also cracked the top 10.
On the flipside, most of the least stressed states in the US voted Democrat in the last presidential election.
The only state to favor Donald Trump that ranked positively was Iowa, which came in as the fifth-least stressed.
Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Hampshire were the least stressed states in America, according to the study (File photo)
The study showed that Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Hampshire were the happiest US states.
That was attributed to their cleanliness, social safety nets and proximity to major metropolitan areas.
‘Better-resourced states like Massachusetts have stronger safety nets,’ Anidjar continued.
‘People have better access to healthcare, mental health services, and legal aid.’
He added that locals could get help ‘more easily’ in those Northeast states in the case of an accident or injury.
