America Now at ‘Lowest Point We Can Remember’ Top Psychological Group Says

Far More Democrats Concerned About Future of Nation Than Republicans

A poll released this week by the American Psychological Association finds that nearly two-thirds of Americans (63 percent) say the future of the nation is a very or somewhat significant source of stress.

“We’re seeing significant stress transcending party lines,” Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer, says in “Stress in America: The State of Our Nation.”  

“The uncertainty and unpredictability tied to the future of our nation is affecting the health and well-being of many Americans in a way that feels unique to this period in recent history.”

Nearly six out of 10 surveyed included Americans in generations who lived through World War II and Vietnam, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

According to the report, the majority of the issues causing stress when thinking about the nation are health care (43 percent), the economy (35 percent), trust in government (32 percent), hate crimes (31 percent) and crime (31 percent), wars/conflicts with other countries (30 percent), and terrorist attacks in the United States (30 percent). About one in five Americans cited unemployment and low wages (22 percent), and climate change and environmental issues (21 percent) as issues causing them stress.

Nearly three-quarters of Democrats, 73 percent, say they are stressed about the future of the nation, compared to 56 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of independents.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they were stressed about the social divisiveness in the country today.

Most also indicated that they feel conflicted between their desire to stay informed about the news and their view of the media as a source of stress. While 95 percent surveyed say they follow the news regularly, 56 percent say that doing so causes them stress, and 72 percent believe the media blows things out of proportion.

“With 24-hour news networks and conversations with friends, family and other connections on social media, it’s hard to avoid the constant stream of stress around issues of national concern,” said Evans. “These can range from mild, thought-provoking discussions to outright, intense bickering, and over the long term, conflict like this may have an impact on health. Understanding that we all still need to be informed about the news, it’s time to make it a priority to be thoughtful about how often and what type of media we consume.”

The survey also found that 51 percent of Americans say that the state of the nation has inspired them to volunteer or support causes they value. More than half (59 percent) have taken some form of action in the past year, including 28 percent who signed a petition and 15 percent who boycotted a company or product in response to its social or political views or actions.

The poll was conducted from Aug. 2 to Aug. 31 among 3,440 participants. 

Brody Levesque is the Chief Political Correspondent for The New Civil Rights Movement.
You may contact Brody at Brody.Levesque@thenewcivilrightsmovement.com

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