You might have thought your election stress would dissipate after November finally brought an end to a lengthy, bitter presidential race.
Between August 2016 and January 2017, however, Americans’ overall stress level increased for the first time in 10 years, according to a new study from the American Psychological Association.
This organization’s Stress in America: Coping with Change survey found that two-thirds of Americans are stressed about the country’s future, with 57 percent citing the current political climate as a “very or somewhat significant” stress source. Harris Poll conducted the survey for the association in early January, which included 1,019 U.S. adults ages 18 and up. This Stress in America report is part No. 1 of this year’s annual release; the second part is slated for publication Feb. 23.
Americans’ overall stress level, on a 10-point scale from “little or no stress” to “a great deal of stress,” ticked up from 4.8 to 5.1 between August 2016 and January 2017. Both the majority of Democrats and Republicans surveyed regarded the country’s future as a significant stress source, at 76 percent and 59 percent respectively. Nearly 7 in 10 African-Americans called the election’s outcome a very or somewhat significant stress source compared to just 42 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
Participants’ education levels and hometown also played a part in their stress levels, according to the report. Fifty-three percent of people with more than a high school education said they have a very or somewhat significant source of stress linked to the election outcome as opposed to just 38 percent who have a high school education or less. People who live in urban areas were more stressed out (62 percent) than those who reside in rural and suburban communities, 33 percent and 45 percent respectively.
This report followed up on data the American Psychological Association released in August finding that 52 percent of American adults viewed the 2016 presidential election as a very or somewhat significant stress source.
And it’s not just politics keeping Americans up at night, but also terrorism, police violence toward minorities and personal safety. The percentage of people reporting stress around these issues rose between August 2016 and January 2017. For example, those who called police violence toward minorities “a very or somewhat significant source of stress” rose from 36 percent to 44 percent.
This added stress is already affecting the health of Americans. In August, 71 percent of participants said they suffered from at least one stress symptom in the prior month. That rose to 80 percent last month. Stress can manifest as both physical and emotional symptoms, according to Vaile Wright, a licensed psychologist from the American Psychological Association who was involved with the survey. About one-third of Americans reported symptoms like headaches (34 percent) or feeling nervous or anxious (33 percent).
To de-stress, Wright suggests engaging in soothing or pleasurable activities, spending time with friends and family, and taking care of yourself through proper sleep, diet and exercise habits.
“If after engaging in a lot of these tips, you find that your stress is really interfering with your ability to, say, do your job at work or it’s interfering with your ability to take care of your house, engaging in relationships — that’s when it really might be a good idea to seek out some professional help,” Wright says.
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Survey: Stress in America Increases for the First Time in 10 Years originally appeared on usnews.com
