State of U.S. Upsets Americans, Poll Finds : Survey: Respondents are also worried about their own financial futures, despite signs of economic renewal. Some analysts say pessimism could slow down the recovery.

Despite signs of accelerating economic growth, Americans remain “highly dissatisfied” with the state of the nation and fearful about their own financial prospects, according to a national poll released Tuesday.

The survey, by the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press, showed that many Americans consider themselves financially overburdened, a concern that some analysts said could restrain future buying decisions and slow down the economic recovery. Many respondents also expressed concerns about violent crime, their jobs, and public and private morality.

Overall, Americans were more worried about their futures than they were in the 1980s, and they generally viewed problems at the national level as more serious than those in their communities. Only 24% of respondents said they were satisfied with the country’s course, while 68% expressed satisfaction with trends in their own communities.

Despite an improving economic picture, only 44% of those employed said their wages were sufficient for the life to which they aspired, and 51% expressed concerns about job opportunities for their children.

Asked about national problems that are growing worse, 77% identified crime, 63% chose morality and ethics and 62% cited illicit drugs.

Half of those surveyed said they were “very concerned” about becoming the victim of a crime, up from 36% in a 1988 Times Mirror survey. One in four persons said they or a member of their family had been a victim of crime in the previous 12 months.

Large percentages of those polled said they saw the country losing ground in other areas related to morality. Sixty-nine percent saw the breakup of families as a growing problem, while 59% cited lack of respect for religion.

Rivaling the fear of crime and concern about jobs was personal concern over health care, the survey found. Forty-five percent reported they had such problems as difficulty affording the cost of care, being dropped by an insurance company or refusal of coverage for pre-existing conditions.

However, the poll showed public support fading for a central feature of Clinton’s health care reform program--universal coverage. While 60% of all Americans supported the notion of universal coverage a year ago, only 51% favored it in the latest poll.

The poll, in which the Washington-based Center for National Policy cooperated, surveyed 2,001 adults between March 16-21. The margin of error was plus or minus 2 to 3 percentage points.

Times Mirror Co. is the owner of the Los Angeles Times and other newspaper, broadcasting and publishing enterprises.