More Australians are turning to gambling to relieve stress,
an annual psychology survey has found.

The Australian Psychology Society found that more Australians
are gambling as a form of stress relief then in 2011 even
though, among many causes of stress listed, the top cause was
personal financial issues.

"If they often have severe levels of depression or anxiety,
generally what they are doing is turning to addictive
behaviours," Australian Psychological executive director,
Professor Lyn Littlefield told AAP.

"Really at the time you are doing it, it blots out what
you're worried about... These behaviours don't solve them,
it's an escape."

Nearly 20 per cent of those who took part in the Stress and
Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2015 said they had used
gambling to relieve stress, an increase of six per cent in
four years.

Prof Littlefield said electronic gaming machines, or pokies,
and the normalisation of gambling are central to forming
addictive behaviours.

"They are disproportionately located in the lower
socio-economic areas which is really worrisome because often
vulnerable people, particularly financially vulnerable
people, live in those areas."

She said the design of pokies was central to their addictive
nature.

"Every five hits you are going to get something, you just
don't know when so you keep trying."

Those who reported extremely severe levels of anxiety,
distress and depression used addictive behaviours such as
drinking, smoking, taking drugs and gambling to relieve
stress at much higher rates than others.

Prof Littlefield said governments needs to do more to protect
people from the impacts of gambling.

Survey results

* Anxiety symptoms are the highest they have been for five
years and wellbeing has not improved since the survey began.

* Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) was seen as affecting the
wellbeing of social media users - particularly in teens.

* Close to 60 per cent of teens have trouble sleeping or
relaxing after accessing social media sites and a similar
number feel burnt out by constant connectivity.

* Nearly half of Australian teens feel that their peers are
having more rewarding experiences than them.

* Wellbeing improved with income, education and employment
but young people, 18-25, have for five years reported the
lowest level of wellbeing.

* The most common way of relieving stress since 2011 was
watching TV or movies.

* Friends or family were said to be the most effective in
relieving stress.

* Although 72 per cent of those surveyed said they felt
stress impacted on their physical health, more than half said
they did not seek help with it.

SOURCE: Australian Psychological Society's
Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2015.