The Thriving-Struggling-Suffering Index correlates to the national increase in worry over finances. On Nov. 11, 2008, 34.22 percent said they worried about money the day before, 49.75 percent said they perceived their standard of living getting worse and 7.21 percent of respondents said they expected to be worse off in five years. At the state level, the data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index reveals:
- Washington, D.C. has the highest percentage of residents thriving (55.6 percent).
- Hawaii has the highest percent of people satisfied with their standard of living (82.4 percent).
- Rhode Island residents are most worried about their financial situation and leads all states in the belief their standard of living is getting worse (50.2 percent).
- Connecticut, which has the highest per capita household income, ranks second in financial concerns (37.5 percent said they worried about money) and third in believing standard of living is declining (49 percent).
- Louisiana leads the nation with the fewest percent of people reporting declines in standard of living (77.2 percent are satisfied with standard of living, 48.5 percent believe standard of living is getting better). The state ranked third in optimism and third highest in not worrying about money.
"This data confirms what the American public is feeling – increased worry, economic concern and lowered well-being," said Ken Thorpe, Executive Director of the Association to Fight Chronic Disease and Robert W. Woodruff Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy & Management at Emory University. "We’re experiencing hard times and worry leads to stress, which has a profound impact on our health. In this environment, as the economy continues to worsen, healthcare reform becomes even more important."
The data also reveals post-election trends among red and blue states. In the last month, consumer expectations of future prosperity have steadily declined, as revealed by responses to the Well-Being question asking about perceived life status in the next five years. The only exception is African Americans, who have shown a steady increase in their perception of the future over October and November of 2008.
In general, people living in blue states feel their communities are in decline (on Nov. 9, 32 percent), and this perception has worsened since the beginning of the year (Jan. 1, 27 percent).
Also, people in blue states generally feel their standard of living is getting worse, a consistent perception since the beginning of the year, although the percentage has risen recently for both red and blue state residents.
From January through mid-August of 2008, most Americans classified themselves as thriving, with basic needs met and the future perceived in a positive light. Those who are thriving are less burdened by disease, generally have higher income and take fewer sick days. By mid-November 2008, 60 percent were struggling, worrying more about money and responding less favorably to questions about the future, only 36 percent were thriving and four percent were suffering - reporting less access to basic needs, including healthcare. These people are more likely to be burdened by disease, report more sick days and respond to questions about the future saying they expect it to stay the same or decline.
"The Thriving-Struggling-Suffering Index is a key measure because it has a profound impact on overall well-being, including mental and physical health and happiness," said Amy Neftzger, Healthways lead Well-Being researcher. "When you look at the Index over 2008 and at other sub domains within the Well-Being Index, you see that economic hardship has a profound impact on well-being, and you can also see that different populations respond to the economy differently."
