Poll-tergeist: The election haunting America’s mental health

More than 6 in 10 adults say the belligerent presidential race has damaged their mental health, according to a Forbes survey that finds the strain has severed some relationships.

Forbes Health reported this month that 46% of those responding to a recent poll reported anxiety, 37% complained of stress and 31% said they felt fear as Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump head for Election Day on Nov. 5.

Nearly 1 in 5 adults said the election has damaged their relationships with older relatives, including 29% of Generation Z respondents, and 44% reported feeling more anxious about spending the holidays with family and friends.

According to election forecasters, polling averages show the two candidates in a close race.

“I believe some people’s anxiety comes from past post-election results,” said Rufus Tony Spann, a Forbes Health Advisory Board member and licensed counselor in Waldorf, Maryland. “Based on the results of previous elections, some communities felt they needed to prepare for the backlash due to the results of an election.”

The survey also asked adults if they agreed with the statement, “We have fallen out due to differing political opinions about the upcoming election.”

It found that 19% of survey participants said the statement accurately described the election’s impact on their friendships. An additional 8% said it applied to their relations with aunts, uncles or cousins and 6% said it described their bond with their parents.

The poll also found that 18% of people agreed with the statement that “conversations about political opinions and the election have escalated into arguments,” including 8% who mentioned fighting with parents, relatives and co-workers.

While most survey participants in all demographic groups reported negative emotions about the election, baby boomers and men were less likely than younger adults and women to report mental health problems.

Anxiety was the most common negative emotion cited in all generations. It increased substantially as the age of survey participants decreased, with 28% of all adults saying that “uncontrollable worry or anxiety” about the election has hurt their job performance.

“In my opinion, anxiety can manifest in our bodies, decision-making and emotions,” Mr. Spann said. “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.”

Small numbers of survey respondents reported positive emotions. They included 27% who felt optimistic about the election, 22% who felt excitement, 16% who expressed happiness and 12% who felt relief.

Men were likelier than women to report these positive emotions, Forbes noted.

The survey found that 44% of surveyed adults reported “avoiding the news” to cope with negative feelings. An additional 35% mentioned talking with friends or family, 29% said they were avoiding social media, 21% were exercising more, 9% were drinking or using drugs and 9% were talking with a therapist.

More than 1 in 4 adults reported feeling overwhelmed by election reports from news publications. An additional 23% said they felt the same about election content on YouTube, 21% mentioned TikTok, 19% flagged X and 16% cited Instagram.

According to mental health experts, people who have turned to drinking or drugs to cope with the Harris-Trump election should reach out to mental health professionals for help.

Tim Jansen, the CEO of a federal 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline center in Hyattsville, Maryland, said large numbers of callers have mentioned the upcoming election as “an additional stressor” in their lives.

“Callers are tired, and the stress of the election and the nastiness of the season increases distress,” said Mr. Jansen, who was not involved in the Forbes survey.

Forbes Health commissioned survey company Talker Research to conduct the online national survey of 2,000 adults from Sept. 4-6. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.2 points at the 95% confidence level.