{"id":477220,"date":"2026-02-19T05:24:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T05:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/477220\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T05:24:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T05:24:07","slug":"how-political-chaos-is-affecting-americans-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/477220\/","title":{"rendered":"How Political Chaos Is Affecting Americans\u2019 Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

A person blinded<\/a>, and someone else shot in the leg<\/a>. Children taken, families separated. A person dead, then another. A February Gallup poll shows \u201cAmerican Optimism Slumps to Record Low,\u201d with the percentage of adults who can imagine a future good life dwindling. If you\u2019re a person who sees the United States in polycrisis<\/a>, you may see that poll and find it rather obvious. A future good life may seem far away, more a windfall than a certainty.In the United States, it\u2019s common but wistful thinking to believe politics can be separated from the rest of our lives. You may \u201cwant to keep politics out of it<\/a>\u201d\u2014out of conversations with friends and family, out of pop culture<\/a>, or sports. But to understand the mood in America, and what that means on an individual level, we need to think of politics as something that is inseparable from everything else. Mental health can be a political outcome, and mental health can influence politics.<\/p>\n

Understanding the complex relationship between politics and emotional well-being may help you judge yourself less and steady yourself more.<\/p>\n

The emotional consequences of politics<\/p>\n

One way politics impacts mental health is as an external stressor<\/a>. For example, when researchers investigated how political stress in 2023 and 2024 influenced the mental health of women living in Georgia, they found that those who were more stressed about politics generally were more stressed, anxious, and depressed overall. These results were published<\/a> in the journal Social Science & Medicine; in a related press release<\/a>, senior author Stephanie Eick explained that the findings \u201creally put data behind, and in many ways validate, what a lot of people are feeling right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin Smith<\/a>, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his colleagues surveyed 800 people in the U.S. in March 2017\u2014about two months after President Donald Trump\u2019s first inauguration. The survey<\/a> showed that nearly 40 percent of the study population was stressed by politics, with 11.5 percent reporting that their physical health had declined as a result. One in five said differences in political views had damaged a friendship, and the same proportion reported fatigue.<\/p>\n

A follow-up paper<\/a> in 2022, which used data from the initial study as well as new survey data from October 2020, found that people continued to report that politics was taking a toll on their health. People who were young, politically engaged and interested, or on the political left were the most likely to report negative effects.<\/p>\n

If he ran a similar study now, in the wake of the 2024 election, does Smith think he would get similar results? \u201cYes, I very much do,\u201d Smith says.<\/p>\n

That people would feel bad because of current events, says clinical psychologist and author Bruce Levine<\/a>, makes sense. ICE violence<\/a>, \u201chas obviously created an extremely high level of anxiety for many people,\u201d says Levine. In addition to anxiety, some might feel embarrassment or shame over how the world views their country. People are contending with rising authoritarianism<\/a>, which relies<\/a> on insecurity, instability, and inequality.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who aren\u2019t directly affected might feel something related to survivor\u2019s guilt,\u201d he says. \u201cThey might think, \u2018Well, I haven\u2019t been directly traumatized by the offense, maybe I shouldn\u2019t feel as bad as I do.\u2019 It is a different feeling than thinking, \u2018Oh God, this could happen to anybody, including me, anytime.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

What response you have might depend on your proximity to what you\u2019re seeing that\u2019s causing the distress\u2014your physical proximity, or how similar you are to people being hurt. Regardless, a myriad of reactions can be a fair, valid response to political conditions, Levine says. It\u2019s how well you cope with them that matters for moving forward.<\/p>\n

One nation, in distress<\/p>\n

The consequences of poor mental health for democracy in the United States remain uncertain, but the established correlation suggests our democracy isn\u2019t as healthy as we\u2019d like it to be.<\/p>\n

There are, however, hints of the effects on civic engagement in the short run. For example, recent research<\/a> on Gen Z suggests this generation is both increasingly negative and scared, and steadily more cynical about their ability to change the world. This cynicism and their negative view of politics are linked.<\/p>\n

Just as politics can lead to worsened mental health, poor mental health can influence politics. Christopher Ojeda<\/a>, an associate professor at the University of California, Merced and author of The Sad Citizen<\/a>, argues depression can be viewed as a political phenomenon. In part, this is because the sources of depression can be political, but there can be political consequences to depression as well. Reduced motivation and energy can, in turn, decrease the likelihood that someone will get involved politically, he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who have feelings of depression are less participative, they\u2019re less satisfied with democracy; they\u2019re less trusting of government,\u201d Ojeda says. \u201cThey think they cannot participate, and that elected officials are less responsive to people like them.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, we can\u2019t say that everyone reacts to politics in the same way, Ojeda cautions. Some see events and feel depressed; others may feel angry. Some might feel afraid, while others feel proud.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of individual-level variation,\u201d Smith agrees. \u201cQuite a bit of research suggests that having negative emotions can be motivational.\u201d People who feel they can make a difference are more likely to try to engage and change things.<\/p>\n

\u201cDifferent temperatures have differing default responses to threats,\u201d says Levine. This could be summarized as fight, flight, or freeze. A desire to protest, a need to leave the U.S., or a want to shut down and hide are all equally possible, depending on the individual.<\/p>\n

Practically, Smith recommends avoiding politically related mental burnout by avoiding doomscrolling and engaging with people you disagree with civically and constructively. He acknowledges that it\u2019s easier said than done, but this practice has been shown to lower the political temperature and reduce individual stress. \u201cThe point of the conversation isn\u2019t to win,\u201d he says, \u201cIt\u2019s simply to get to understand the other person a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doomscrolling can increase feelings of helplessness because it can showcase \u201can endless list of losses,\u201d Ojeda explains. \u201cI think this is one reason why people who are primarily consuming the news are feeling pretty down by what\u2019s going on,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe whole situation can feel kind of helpless.\u201d<\/p>\n

People might feel greater control and be more likely to believe they are making a positive difference if they focus on local politics rather than federal politics, Ojeda says. There may still be plenty of hurdles and struggles, but the emotional reactions could be more varied\u2014wins along with losses.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can have a bigger impact and feel like your voice is heard in a way that\u2019s empowering,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Before you go, we hope you\u2019ll consider supporting DAME\u2019s journalism.<\/p>\n

Today, just tiny number of corporations and billionaire owners are in control the news we watch and read. That influence shapes our culture and our understanding of the world. But at DAME, we serve as a counterbalance by doing things differently. We\u2019re reader funded, which means our only agenda is to serve our readers. No both sides, no false equivalencies, no billionaire interests. Just our mission to publish the information and reporting that help you navigate the most complex issues we face.<\/p>\n

But to keep publishing, stay independent and paywall free for all, we urgently need more support. During our Spring Membership drive, we hope you\u2019ll join the community helping to build a more equitable media landscape with a monthly membership of just $5.00 per month or one-time gift in any amount.<\/p>\n

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