WASHINGTON — Unemployment is rising. Nest eggs are in tatters. Home values have tanked. And yet surprisingly, Americans are feeling less stress from debt these days.
Chalk it up to the power of positive thinking combined with people saving more, spending less and trimming debt to cope with the recession.
The upshot is that more people are optimistic that they’ll eventually be able to get out from under a mountain of bills, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
Debt-related stress was 12 percent lower this year than in 2008, according to the poll.
“People now have some optimism that the worst is behind them,” said Paul Lavrakas, a research psychologist and AP consultant who analyzed the results of the survey.
The recession is prompting Americans to take steps to get their finances in better shape. It has led to a newfound frugality that some believe will continue.
“People are doing things that make them feel they are taking charge of their lives again,” said Patricia Drentea, associate professor of sociology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who studies debt and stress.
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