PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Americans cannot go a day without seeing political advertisements or discourse on their screens—and health experts said this is taking a toll on mental health.
During the 2020 presidential election, the American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a survey and found 52% of Americans feel elections "are a very or somewhat significant' form of stress in their lives.
The survey also concluded that regardless of political affiliation, a majority of Americans see the election affecting their mental health—causing a significant source of stress for 76% of Democrats, 67% of Republicans and 64% of Independents.
Health experts said this is no surprise. And it has a name: Election anxiety.
"People often feel helpless, and just feel very anxious about politics in general," said Dr. Melissa Brown, licensed psychologist at UPMC. "The topics, not feeling informed or just feeling that just the process itself creates angst for them."
Dr. Brown also pointed to the heightened polarization of American politics as a contributing factor to election anxiety. She said Americans with family members and friends with different opinions may find themselves in the middle of stressful conversations and confrontations.
Health experts found election results cause many people to deal with uncertainty. Dr. Brown said there is a remedy to this stress—and that is to vote.
"I encourage people to focus on what is actually in [their] control," said Dr. Brown. "When it comes to elections... what is in your control is actually going to the booth and voting. Whether you're doing it in person or mailing in your ballot, voting in general is what you can control.”
Dr. Brown and the APA introduced other ways to take back control for Americans dealing with election anxiety:
- Stop scrolling: Limit media consumption and take a break from political advertisements and commentary. Only watch enough to stay informed.
- Get involved: Engage in activities around issues that are important to you. This will ease "election uncertainty" and help you find a meaningful partnerships if the results do not go your way.
- Speak up: Find one or two people you trust to speak about your stress and anxiety surrounding the election. The APA said people who have at least one or two friends or family members to turn to for emotional support during stressful times tend to cope better than people who don’t have such support.