Most want doctor to prescribe vacation

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LAS VEGAS, May 19 (UPI) -- More than half of U.S. workers say doctors should be able to prescribe vacations as a curative option for stress-related maladies, a survey indicates.

The survey, The Takeaways from Getaways, commissioned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, indicated more than 9-out-of-10 U.S. employees reported feeling happier after taking a vacation and 77 percent said their overall health improves after a getaway.

The survey found more than half of employed Americans have either lost unused vacation time-off from work, or know someone who has.

The economic downturn was not a major reason for putting off taking time. Eighty-two percent of survey participants reported vacations were equally, if not more important in tough economic times.

Eighty-two percent of survey participants said their happiest moments came from vacation experiences and 59 percent of employed Americans said losing paid vacation time decreased one's well-being.

The survey, conducted by Heart+Mind Strategies, surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 21-74 who have taken at least one overnight trip for vacation or pleasure in the last 12 months. The survey's margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.

No other survey details were provided.