The Last Election Raised Americans’ Stress to an All-time High

“For 10 years, the APA [American Psychological Association] has been running its “Stress in America” survey, usually finding that stress is caused by three primary factors—money, work, and the economy…

“…In the study, respondents with incomes below $50,000 reported higher stress levels than those with higher incomes.

“…over the course of the decade,  psychologists found that stress in American life, on the whole, has been gradually decreasing.

“…[In the] annual poll, conducted in August, and released the results in October. The findings: At 52 percent, more than half of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, were anxious about the vote.

“‘The results of the January 2017 poll show a statistically significant increase in stress for the first time since the survey was first conducted in 2007,’ the APA said on Wednesday in a report on the survey of 1,019 adults living in the U.S., conducted from Jan. 5 to Jan. 19 by Harris Poll.  Americans’ stress levels in January were worse than in August, in the middle of the angriest, most personal campaign in recent memory…

“At 57 percent, more than half of respondents said the current political climate was a very or somewhat significant source of stress…. …and while that includes 76 percent of Democrats, it reflects the feelings of 59 percent of Republicans as well.

“…millennials reported more stress than their parents or grandparents.

“…Urban dwellers are doing significantly worse than their suburban and rural counterparts.

“…53 percent of those with more than a high school education report the election outcome as a very or somewhat significant source of stress, compared with 38 percent of those with just high school or less

“…nearly half the respondents reported stress related to police violence against minorities—44 percent, up from August’s 36 percent

Highly significant stress levels were reported by approximately 70% of Blacks, 55% of Asians, 52% of Hispanics, and 45% of Whites.

Quotations from:   Deena Shanker. (February 15, 2017). “Americans Just Broke the Psychologists’ Stress Record,” in Bloomberg on line. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-15/americans-just-broke-the-psychologists-stress-record