The study of 6100 people between the ages of 15 and 60 in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand found that 58 percent considered the possibility of unemployment a major concern.

"Our hypothesis was that Asians suffer from the stresses of modern lifestyles brought about by the increasingly competitive environment whether at work, at school or at home," president and chief executive officer Eiji Koike told a news conference.

Respondents in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan put unemployment as their foremost concern. Singaporeans and Malaysians ranked crime as their top worry, while Thais fret most about drug abuse.

Political instability, pollution and corruption were other social issues which kept people awake at night. Concerns about health came in at seventh place.

"Health is not a very compelling issue among Asians," said Audrey Tan, managing director of Asia Market Intelligence, which conducted the survey.

Stress management activities were fairly limited, with listening to music, playing sports and watching television most common.

Thais and Malaysians had a tendency to talk to friends or neighbours as a means of stress relief, while the Chinese and Taiwanese managed stress by working even harder.