A new poll has found that more than 60% of Americans say their mental health has either been slightly, moderately, or significantly impacted by the upcoming presidential election.
The survey, conducted by Forbes health, revealed that 46% said they had feelings of anxiety surrounding the election.
The survey shows election anxiety is high among young Americans, with 37% feeling stressed and 31% fearful about the 2024 race.
Gen Z (66%), millennials (64%), and Gen X (63%) were most likely to say the election has had at least a slight negative impact on their mental health, compared to 56% of baby boomers.
In contrast, it found that 27% of participants are feeling optimistic, 22% feel excitement, 16% are happy, and 12% are feeling a sense of relief.
Women are more likely to experience anxiety, stress, and fear, while men are more inclined to express excitement, with 27% of men reporting this feeling compared to 19% of women.
28% of participants claim that their performance or productivity at work or school has been negatively affected, at least slightly, by the upcoming election.
"I believe some people's anxiety comes from past post-election results..Based on the results of previous elections, some communities felt they needed to prepare for the backlash due to the results of an election," explained Rufus Tony Spann, Forbes Health Advisory Board member.
Nearly 44% of respondents feel more anxious about spending time with family and friends during the holiday season, as it closely follows the presidential election.
Gen Z leads with 60% feeling anxious about holiday gatherings, followed by millennials (54%), Gen X (44%), and baby boomers (28%).
Social media and news outlets were found to contribute to anxiety, with 26% blaming news publications, followed by YouTube (23%), TikTok (19%), and Instagram (16%).
In the survey, 40% felt social media harms democracy, while 29% saw it as helpful.
Gen Z (45%) and millennials (36%) were most likely to view it positively, while baby boomers (51%) and Gen X (41%) saw it as more harmful.
Experts says it's important to step away from political messaging when feeling overwhelmed and "give yourself the space to make a decision you feel comfortable with."
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Over Half Of American's Say Election Is Impacting Mental Health