Health
Ahead of Election, Americans Report Significant Stress Around Future of the Nation
If you’re feeling a bit anxious about the election, you’re certainly not alone.
A study by the American Psychology Association reports that 77% of U.S. adults say the nation’s future is a significant source of stress in their lives.
And with polls showing a tight presidential race, it appears Americans are struggling with the unpredictable outcome.
This category of mental health is known as socio-political stress and it seems more prevalent to people who are politically active compared to those not engaged in politics.
That same study also found that 56% of Americans believe this presidential election could be the end of democracy.
“It does feel like there’s a lot riding on this,” said Dr. Katherine Johnson, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Loyola University Medical Center.
Johnson said this election cycle has taken up about 80% of the content in her sessions.
Compared to the two previous presidential elections, the 2024 race shows slightly higher increases of stress and anxiety. The race in 2016 resulted in 52%, 2020 in 68%, and this year shows 69%.
Between the percentages of increased stress levels and the polling numbers, this race has shown one thing.
“We’re in this interesting place in America. It’s a divisive time,” said Johnson. “Whichever side you’re on, we’ve all been set up to feel like it’s very them or us, and that feels really disempowering. The power we have in this election is to vote right no matter what side we’re on, our vote is our voice. But once you’ve actually voted, it feels very out of your hands.”
The unpredictable nature of this election has caused some to feel for the future and the reaction of the nation. More than 7 in 10 adults were worried the election results could lead to violence.
“One thing I’ve been hearing over and over is, ‘What's going to happen with the other party that loses? We all remember January 6, right? Is there gonna be a similar issue? We’ve all been told we’re in grave danger on both sides of this equation,” said Johnson.
On a few different occasions during her campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris described this race as, “one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.” On the opposite end, former President Donald Trump’s campaign alluded to ideas of mass deportation and challenging reproductive rights.
In a Wisconsin rally last week, Trump said that “whether the women like it or not” he will “protect” them.
Divisive commentary aids in increasing anxiety, along with the role of social media. Continuous updates on several different platforms has made it difficult for people to disengage and remove themselves from the discourse. Limiting scroll time can help with decreasing those moments of anxiety.
“Limit your social media time. Instead of just allowing notifications to be just bombarding your phone and having the sounds popping every 10 seconds to tell you of a new thing,” said Dr. Andrew Segovia Kulik, a forensic psychiatrist and Chair of Behavioral Health St. Anthony Hospital-Chicago.
However, knowing when the stress levels will peak and dissipate is equally unpredictable, but some moments could be more obvious than others.
“I think it's incrementally increasing as we speak, until the election,” said Kulik. “And then I think it will have a big spike, stay spiked for a little while. And then when you wake up and see that the person you hoped would win wins, I think there will be some relief, but then the other portion of the population will have this terrible spike of stress and catastrophizing and feeling terrible and wondering what life is going to be like.”
Studies have shown that some of the anxiety levels could come from post-election results, but experts encourage voters to realize that nothing will be instantaneous.
“There’s nothing different between yesterday and today. If you have a job, I suspect you still have a job. If you are healthy, I imagine you’re going to stay healthy,” Kulik said. “So nothing’s going to change immediately. A lot of this stuff is philosophical and self induced type stress.”
Even with the heightened stress levels, voters are still finding a positive in exercising their right to vote. The study also found 77% of people intend to vote in the presidential election. Approximately 61% reported feeling hopeful about the change this election is going to bring and 59% believe this election will lead to a more inclusive society.
During this strenuous time, Johnson recommends people find ways to increase their joy as much as possible — even if it’s something as small as wearing a comforting sweater or spending time with a loved one. Kulik always encourages people to seek therapeutic support.
“People should engage and get that service sooner rather than later, and then when they are stressed, they have more tools available to them, and that they have someone to talk to that isn’t just a family member or friend,” said Kulik.
