At some point everyone, regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof, wants to bail from a presidential election. OK, that's a hunch, but it's borne out, at least in part (caveats aplenty), in an online survey by the American Psychological Association.
Fifty-two percent of American adults tell the pollsters that the 2016 election is a very or somewhat significant source of stress. The survey was conducted online among adults 18 years old and older living in the U.S. by the Harris Poll for the association.
"For the past decade, the Stress in America™ survey has examined how stress affects the health and well-being of American adults. Prior to the release of this year's full survey results slated for early 2017, APA highlighted data that points to Americans' stress levels related to the upcoming presidential election.
" 'We're seeing that it doesn't matter whether you're registered as a Democrat or Republican — U.S. adults say they are experiencing significant stress from the current election,' said Lynn Bufka, PhD, APA's associate executive director for practice research and policy. Across party lines, those registered as Democrats (55 percent) and Republicans (59 percent) are statistically equally likely to say the election is a very or somewhat significant source of stress.
" 'Election stress becomes exacerbated by arguments, stories, images and video on social media that can heighten concern and frustration, particularly with thousands of comments that can range from factual to hostile or even inflammatory,' said Bufka."
"If there is an effect it's a lagged effect," says Joe Nunes. He is head of the marketing department at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and he studies consumer behavior. In an interview with NPR, Nunes says consumers and voters often show their reactions to elections in spending and investment patterns. However, so far in this election, Nunes says "there's no economic indicator that shows people are fearful and not spending."
Nunes points out that the results of the American Psychological Association survey are not definitive. The poll is online and (more caveats) taken before the most recent round of political turmoil, but "there is a real psychological effect of the news," Nunes says. If people felt the status quo was going to radically change, he says, "they'd pull money out of the stock market, stop spending on major goods." He says people are likely feeling fatigue and concern but that's different from a panic.
But if you are feeling stressed, what can you do about it? You could follow the links to some of our non-politics news.