This Election Is Really Stressing Everyone Out

If the looming election has given you a perpetual knot in your stomach, you might be glad to know you're not alone. Per the American Psychological Association's "Stress in America" report for 2024, 77% of adults surveyed say the future of the United States is a significant source of stress for them—and the numbers are pretty similar between Democrats (79%), Republicans (80%), and independents (73%). "Republicans [and] Democrats are actually united in having concern about the future of the nation," the APA's Lynn Bufka tells NPR. "And they're not sure that the country's system of checks and balances is actually working the way it should be working." More:

• Additional stressors: The economy was the second most-common source of stress (73%), while the US election itself came in third, at 69%. Meanwhile, 72% of survey respondents fear the election's results may lead to violence, and 56% believe this election could mean the end of US democracy.

• Poll No. 2: Another survey from Forbes Health backs up the APA's, with more than 60% of respondents noting that their mental health has been negatively impacted by the election. About 44% say they're anxious about spending time with friends and family during the post-election holidays.
• More than just regular anxiety: Axios reports that "the emotional reactions to rallies, debates, and nonstop ads transcend generalized anxiety," noting that while generalized anxiety "can come on gradually and sometimes for no apparent reason," this kind of anxiety is tied directly to the election or other politics and "presents even in people who don't report feeling generally anxious."
• Why so stressed? "Americans are seeing the election as much more consequential than they have in the past," says Arthur Evans, CEO of the APA, per Time, which deems the election-related stress a "national case of doomscrolling." He adds: "People are internalizing the messaging that every election is now an existential threat to our way of life."
• Health risks: In addition to anxiety and depression, hospitalizations for heart attack, heart failure, and stroke were 17% higher in the five days after the 2020 election than in a five-day span two weeks before that election, according to Kaiser Permanente. "Anxiety has physical manifestations. It creates actual physical health problems in people," the University of Northern Iowa's Jayme Renfro tells Axios. "There does seem to be something in people ... that really hits some deep inside of their souls."
• At the ready: Groups like the Crisis Text Line and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline say they're gearing up for a surge in calls as the election approaches, per Time. "We know calls will spike the day before and the day of the election, and people are reaching out because of anxiety, depression, and fear about the future," says Tia Dole of the 988 hotline.
• Some good news: The APA survey found that 60% of respondents felt hopeful about the election's results; 80% say they intend to vote.
• What you can do: To temper election stress, experts say to talk more to people in real life (for example, put down your phone), become more engaged in community life, and skip watching the results come in on election night. "It's OK to do a puzzle or something more soothing," notes WFYI.

(More Election 2024 stories.)