A new report reveals that the upcoming presidential election is having a negative impact on Americans' mental health.
The upcoming presidential election is having a negative impact on Americans' mental health, according to a new report from the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
The report found that U.S. adults are especially concerned about current events, with 73% saying they are “worried” about the 2024 election.
“Especially in a place like Washington, D.C., we're hearing more and more about people's fear of it and the stress it's starting to cause,” said Vinita Mehta, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Washington, D.C. said.
Overall, 43% of adults said they felt more anxious now than they did a year ago, according to the survey. By comparison, during the same period in 2023 he was at 37%.
Mehta noted that after the last presidential election, there was unrest in the country, including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“You have to think that this is kind of a new territory that we're in, just because of the onslaught of rhetoric and news and the language that's being used,” Mehta said. It's very difficult to cope when you don't really know what's going to happen. ”
For those who are feeling stressed or having trouble sleeping over the election, Mehta suggested taking some distance from the constant stream of information and going on a “media diet.”
“We can't walk away from this issue because it's on mobile phones, on social media, on TV and people are talking about it,” Mehta said. “You have to be very intentional about actually distancing yourself from that.”
APA's annual mental health poll was conducted April 9-11 among more than 2,200 adults.
“Living in a world filled with constant news of global and regional turmoil, some anxiety is natural and to be expected,” said APA President Petros Levonis. “What's striking here is that Americans are reporting feeling more anxious than in years past.”
Levonis said the increase is likely due to “our unprecedented exposure to everything happening in the world around us.”
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