Picture by wan mohd, licensed by CC.

Everyone feels stressed from time to time. But some groups of people experience stress more than others, because of the color of their skin, the fact that they have two X chromosomes, or something just as arbitrary.

A new survey from the American Psychological Association finds that nearly half of American adults report being treated very unfairly or being severely discriminated against, in everything from their careers to their access to health care.

Evidence suggests that discrimination contributes to stress, and chronic stress results in poor health.

Black adults were the most likely of any group to report discrimination. Meanwhile, Hispanics were the most likely to report high levels of stress.

But these groups aren't the only ones facing these problems — and they're having a big impact on people's health.

Discrimination is disturbingly common

The APA conducts a survey of "Stress in America" every year; this year's survey focused on discrimination. A total of 3,361 people in August 2015 filled out the online survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the APA.

The findings were striking: Nearly seven out of 10 people surveyed said they had experienced some form of discrimination, whether it was due to their race, ethnicity, age, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

"This study has shown us that discrimination knows no boundaries," James Jackson, a professor of psychology and Afro-American and African Studies at the University of Michigan, said in a press briefing Thursday. Jackson was one of two psychologists who worked on the report.

More than 60% of people reported experiencing day-to-day discrimination, such as being treated disrespectfully or being harassed or threatened.

One race reported worse treatment than any other. More than three out of four Black adults said they experienced day-to-day discrimination, and more than 1 in five Black men said they had been unfairly stopped, searched, questioned, threatened, or abused by police.

 

Read the full article "There’s a disturbing effect of discrimination that no one’s talking about" at Business Insider.