Psychologists: 2020 election causing stress for many Americans
Nov 5, 2019, 2:17 PM
Teri Rogers casts her vote at a polling station in St Andrew Presbyterian Church March 6, 2012 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The 2020 election is one year away, but its effects are already being felt among some Americans, in the form of stress.
A survey says more than half of Americans identify the 2020 election as a “significant stressor.”
The American Psychological Association says 56% of American adults consider the presidential contest to be a significant source of stress.
Fifty-six percent is also the percentage who identify climate change/global warming as a source of stress.
In 2016, a slightly smaller percentage of people who felt this way about the presidential election. Fifty-two percent of people identified the then-upcoming election as a stressor.
Chief executive officer of the APA, Arthur C. Evans Jr., says uncertainty is causing stress among Americans.
“Research shows us that over time, prolonged feelings of anxiety and stress can affect our overall physical and mental health. Psychologists can help people develop the tools that they need to better manage their stress,” Evans said.
Immigration rates highly as a concern among Americans
Participants in the survey listed other stressors they find concerning. Immigration is cited as a source of stress for 48% of Americans.
The survey broke down which demographics reported immigration as a source of stress.
Among Hispanic adults, 66% say immigration is a stressor.
Fifty-two percent of Asians, 48% of Native Americans, 46% of blacks, and 43% of whites identified immigration in the survey as a source of stress.
Also, high numbers of people of color identified discrimination as a stressor. Among people of color, 64% say discrimination has “hindered them from having a full and productive life.”
The APA survey indicates a comparative percentage of LGBT adults (64%) expressed the sentiment about discrimination hindering their lives.
However, Americans feel more than stress about the future, according to the APA. Almost three-quarters of Americans (73%) say they feel hopeful about the future.
The APA conducted the survey from Aug. 1 to Sept. 3, 2019. Adults who responded to the survey numbered 3,617.
