If you’re feeling on edge during this election cycle, you’re far from alone. More than 60% of survey respondents stated that their mental health has either been slightly, moderately or significantly negatively impacted by the upcoming election. In fact, 46% reported feelings of anxiety, 37% felt stress and 31% experienced feelings of fear.
“I think election day anxiety is a natural response to the significant decisions we are asked to make,” says Rufus Tony Spann, Ph.D., a certified school psychologist, licensed professional counselor and Forbes Health Advisory Board member based in Waldorf, Maryland.
Election anxiety is impacting younger Americans in particular, the survey found. Among the generations, Gen Z (66%), millennials (64%) and Gen X (63%) were most likely to express that the election has had at least a slight negative impact on their mental health, compared to 56% of baby boomers.
Additionally, a slightly higher percentage of women experienced negative mental health impacts due to the election, with 63% of females claiming that it has at least had a slight negative impact on their mental health, compared to 58% of males.
“I believe some people’s anxiety comes from past post-election results,” explains Dr. Spann. “Based on the results of previous elections, some communities felt they needed to prepare for the backlash due to the results of an election.”
When asked which emotions participants had experienced in relation to recent presidential elections, anxiety was the most common emotion felt across generations, with 49% of Gen Z feeling anxious about the election compared to 45% of millennials and Gen X and 44% of baby boomers.
“In my opinion, anxiety can manifest in our bodies, decision-making and emotions,” says Dr. Spann. “One way to know if anxiety is manifesting in our bodies is to be aware of how our bodies react to political decision-making. Does your body become tense, and your breathing become shallow? Although these don’t have to be exact signs, they could be responses to the political situation.” says Dr. Spann.
However, though the survey found the top reported emotions surrounding the 2024 election to be anxiety, stress and fear, not all reported emotions were negative. In fact, 27% of participants reported feeling optimistic, 22% felt excitement, 16% experienced happiness and 12% felt relief.
Males were more likely to express positive emotions, such as excitement (27%), than females (19%), as well as optimism (32% versus 24%). Women had a higher percentage of respondents experiencing anxiety, stress and fear.
What’s more, for some participants political stress extends beyond the voting booth and impacts school and work, according to the survey. When asked how much their performance at work or school has been negatively affected by the upcoming election (for example, due to uncontrollable worry or anxiety), 28% of respondents stated their performance has been at least slightly affected in a negative way by the upcoming election.
Gen Z and millennials were most likely to report negative effects in their workplace or school performance, at 53% and 42% respectively, compared to 24% of Gen X and just 10% of baby boomers.
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How Are Americans Coping With Election Anxiety?
Survey respondents who reported experiencing negative mental health impacts due to the election were asked how they’ve tried to cope with associated negative emotions. The most common responses included the following:
- Avoiding the news: 44%
- Talking with friends and/or family: 35%
- Avoiding social media: 29%
- Exercising more: 21%
- Avoiding family/friends with differing views: 21%
- Emotional eating: 14%
- Drinking more alcohol or using substances: 9%
- Talking with a therapist: 9%
Gen Z had the highest percentage of people (23%) to cite emotionally eating as a coping mechanism. This age group also had the highest percentage of respondents who experienced increased alcohol consumption or substance use (15%), followed by millennials (11%).
“If anxiety is making it hard for you to function in your day-to-day activities or you notice that you are experiencing significant distress from the anxiety and it’s turning into other types of concerns (like depression or tendency to use escapist coping like drinking too much alcohol or misusing substances to cope), then seek the help of a mental health professional who can help,” says Judy Ho, Ph.D., a triple board certified and licensed clinical and forensic neuropsychologist and Forbes Health Advisory Board member based in Manhattan Beach, California.
