Workers with psychological capital are better prepared to weather increasing work stress
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Workers in the U.S. are feeling the strain of stress and economic uncertainty, and nearly two in five U.S. workers (37%) believe their work environment has a negative impact on their mental health—up from 32% last year, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2026 Work in America survey.
However, the survey suggests organizations can help their workers manage stress and change by investing in psychological capital. Much like financial capital, psychological capital is a resource employers can help their workers cultivate to become more successful and resilient.
The Harris Poll conducted the survey on behalf of APA from May 21–June 1, 2026, among more than 2,000 working U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The survey determined workers’ levels of psychological capital by measuring hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism using a validated five-item scale. Together, these four psychological resources contribute to how workers respond to challenging situations.
“As stress and economic uncertainty continue to build, it’s not surprising that many workers feel that tension interfering with their work,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr. “Employers who want to succeed in this environment need to look beyond productivity metrics and help cultivate the psychological resources workers need to thrive.”
Nearly half of U.S. workers (48%) said they typically feel tense or stressed out during their workday, including 55% of workers who rated their psychological capital as low. Fewer workers with high levels of psychological capital (38%) felt the same way, and they were less likely to report that their work environment had a negative effect on their mental health (24% vs. 47% of workers with low psychological capital).
Although workers overwhelmingly want to work for organizations that value their health and well-being, the percentage who would describe their workplace as healthy has fallen in the past year (80% vs. 85% in 2025). Workers with high psychological capital overwhelmingly described their workplaces as healthy (95%), compared with less than two-thirds of workers with low psychological capital (63%).
These findings also suggest that organizations should work to build psychological capital because it can help their workforces cope with uncertainty caused by economic instability and technological changes. Almost a third of workers (32%) expressed concern that they might lose their job within the next few weeks or months (up from 26% in 2025), but only one in five workers (21%) with high levels of psychological capital felt the same.
About half of workers with low psychological capital (53%) also worried that some or all of their job duties could be made obsolete by artificial intelligence, compared with 37% of workers with high psychological capital.
Addressing psychological capital at work may help organizations improve employee engagement and retention. For example, less than one in five workers with high psychological capital (19%) reported that they intend to look for a new job at a different organization in the next year, compared with 51% of workers with low psychological capital.
To build psychological capital at work, organizations can start with a few steps, such as:
- Broadening the definition of performance to consider how workers build hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism, not just outcomes.
- Building the psychological capacities to adapt to new technologies alongside investments in the new technologies themselves.
- Designing workplaces to strengthen psychological resources by creating a culture that helps workers feel valued and supported.
“Unlike credentials or technical skills, psychological capital often goes unrecognized and unaccounted for by organizational leaders. But research shows that it’s not fixed and can be strengthened through intentional efforts, including steps employers can take,” Evans said. “Organizations that make the effort to invest in their employees’ psychological capital will be better positioned to succeed in challenging circumstances, rather than being overwhelmed by them.”
Methodology
The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of APA among 2,009 employed adults. The survey was conducted May 21–June 1, 2026. Data were weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, work status and household income to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.
More information
Work in America survey, www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2026
Provided by
American Psychological Association
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Workers with psychological capital are better prepared to weather increasing work stress (2026, September 23)
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