Kids more stressed than parents realize

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Stress from school pressure and family finances is taking a toll on U.S. teens, a survey indicates.

The national survey by the American Psychological Association indicates teens and "tweens" were more likely than parents to say that their stress had increased in the last year.

Forty-five percent of teens ages 13-17 say they worried more this year, but only 28 percent of parents say they think their teen's stress increased. Twenty-six percent of "tweens" ages 8-12 say they worried more this year, but 17 percent of parents believed their tween's stress had increased. Two percent to 5 percent of parents rate their child's stress as extreme, while 14 percent of "tweens" and 28 percent of teens say they worry a great deal.

Children were more likely to say they worried about their family's financial difficulties than parents were to say this was a source of stress for their children.

In general, children also were more likely to report having experienced physical symptoms often associated with stress than parents were to say their children experienced these symptoms, including headaches, difficulty sleeping and changes in appetite.

The Stress in America Survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive July 21 to Aug. 4, among 1,568 U.S. adults and 1,206 young people ages 8-17. No other survey details were provided.