“Divided by Ballots: How Political Choices Are Shattering Family Bonds”
73% of respondents said that the economy was also affecting them negatively, while 69% of Americans admitted that the 2024 US presidential election was also a major source of stress.
Some other common stressors included things like healthcare (55%), crime (54%), the environment (51%), global conflicts (51%), and gun regulations (49%).
Furthermore, the APA reports that 65% of adult Americans said that housing costs are stressing them out, as well as false news (62%), and the social divisiveness of the US (60%).
Here’s a bit of historical context to show you that the situation is very similar to what we’ve seen in the recent past. According to the APA poll, 68% of Americans were stressed out due to the presidential elections in 2020, compared to 69% in 2024.
However, things were, ironically, not quite as bad 8 years ago. Polarization wasn’t as acute in the past. Specifically, in 2016, 52% of Americans stated the presidential election was a source of stress. That’s significantly fewer people than in 2020 and 2024. It’ll be very interesting to see whether the situation improves or deteriorates further 4 years later, in 2028.
According to the poll, 41% of Americans also reported that they have considered moving to another country due to the existential stress rising from the state of the nation. Around 39% revealed that they’d consider moving to another state. A whopping 64% of respondents opened up that they felt like their rights were under attack.
Meanwhile, 32% of Americans said that the current political climate in the US has strained their relationships with their family members. 30% admitted that they limit the time they spend with their family because they don’t share the same values as them.
