Britons 'shun' retail therapy

Jobs are the most frequent cause of stress

"Retail therapy" may have become one of the catchphrases of the Bridget Jones generation, but it may not be as popular a way of relieving stress as is widely thought, a survey has indicated.

While 17% of Britons admit to feeling uptight, counselling group the Samaritans said, levels of stress cannot be blamed for prompting the country's High Street boom.

Just 4% of people surveyed said they took to shopping to forget their traumas, Friday's survey said.

Instead, one third of men use alcohol to relieve stress, while a similar proportion of women pour a cup of tea or telephone a friend.

Sport and gardening were also cited as popular diversions.

But few people talked through their traumas in a constructive manner, said the Samaritans, which provides an ear and advice for people at their wits' end.

"Instead of talking through their problems to find a way forward, they are turning to avoidance strategies such as alcohol or passive activities like TV," psychology professor Cary Cooper said of the survey's findings.

Stress league

Jobs were the most frequent cause of stress, cited by 25% of the 2,00 people questioned, with family problems named by 20% and financial troubles by 18%.

Other tension causers mentioned included queuing, and the virtual egg timer on computers.

Middle aged people, where one in five admitted to feeling uptight, were the most likely group to be stressed.

Just 5% of retired people said they suffered from stress on a daily basis.