title: Worrying about one's job, family, financial situation and health - results of a population-representative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Worrying about one's job, family, financial situation and health is distressing. How intense are these worries in the general population?
  
  
  METHODS
  An inquiry representative of the German population (N=2473, age>14 years) was performed. The total score of the "Questionnaire for Assessing Subjective Physical Well-Being" (FEW) and the screening scale of the "Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress" (TICS) were correlated with the four above mentioned items addressing worries (range 1-4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Worries about one's financial situation were scored highest (mean=2.04, SD=0.92), followed by worries about one's health (mean=1.94; SD=0.87), one's family (mean=1.85; SD=0.86) and worries about one's job (mean=1.69; SD=0.92). Health worries increased with age. Those without a job and single parents showed the highest grades of solicitude. Increasing income decreased worrying. The correlations with chronic stress were moderate (.24<r<.33). The most significant correlation could be found between worries about one's health and the total score of the FEW (r=-.52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The general population's concerns are relatively low. Using normative data, people can be screened for psychosocial distress and possibly referred to a relevant form of psychosocial support.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grulke
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bailer
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geyer
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmutzer
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albani