July 28, 2008

Chicago Sun-Times

Economy Sends Many to Therapy

Economic woes are triggering stress among the working class, beset by breadwinner layoffs and hair-trigger tempers at home. But now even upper-middle-class people are taking a big hit to their emotional well-being.

Requests for therapists, driven in part by the financial situation, increased 15 percent to 20 percent in the last three months, according to Richard Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of Chicago-based ComPsych, the nation's largest provider of employee assistance programs.