“Historically, work, money, and the economy are the top three,” said clinical psychologist Lynn Bufka, part of the APA’s Stress in America team, which has been conducting surveys of what freaks us out the most for 10 years. “Now it’s right up there.”
According to Bloomberg, in addition to the overall pervasiveness of news about the presidential election—non-stop coverage for more than a year now—Bufka cites several potential reasons Americans are more worried this year. To start, there’s the tenor of the campaigns, which are arguably more negative and accusatory than any other in modern history. “In general,” she said, “humans like harmony.”
People may also be stressed by these candidates in particular—who they are and what they stand for. And of course, Americans are worried about the outcome.
The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll in August among 3,511 adults aged 18 and up living in the U.S. Data were weighted to accurately reflect the population. While social media usage correlates with higher stress levels, the American you’re least likely to find posting on Facebook—those age 71 and up—are also the ones reporting the most anxiety.
Usually, Bufka said, their generation, called the “silent” or “greatest” generation by some, reports the lowest levels of stress. “They’ve weathered a lot, they have good perspective” she said. But in this case, the opposite seems to be true. “We’re wondering if thinking about the implications on their children and grandchildren might be the source of the stress,” she said.
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