Stress and the Election

It’s been a stressful time recently – exams, papers, flu/cold season, you name it.  And to top it all off, an election that has been interesting and eventful, to say the least.  Don’t get me wrong, all elections (especially presidential) are stressful, but this one in particular seemed to be stress-inducing for most people.  In class, we discussed some surveys conducted by the APA regarding stress among Americans; in mid-October, they came out with a study showing that 52% of adults reported that the presidential election was a very or somewhat significant source of stress, and this result was spread across the board (male and female, Republican and Democrat, etc.) (1).   So how does this election stress actually work, and how is it affecting us?

There are two types of stress: acute and chronic -  I would argue that this election involved both.  The whole process was easily a source of chronic stress, as it was a prolonged event that lasted for months and continued to be stressful for many people.  Surveys and polling found that there were similar amounts of stress regarding the different candidates in January than there were in September, suggesting that this was a prolonged source of stress for Americans (2, 3).  There were also acute stress situations involved, as well – for example, the last few hours of the election, the election night as a whole, or even the debates that took place during the election cycle.  There was stress caused by external factors; for example, social environments that people may have been in during the stress-inducing hours of election night.  There was also lots of stress caused by internal factors and our own thoughts, like our cognitive processes that may have involved worrying and thinking about the implications of the coming presidency.

And the outcomes for many was the triggering of their “stress response,” as it had implications for both mental and physical health.  In class, we discussed the physiological responses associated with both acute and chronic stressors.  Acute responses include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased muscle tension, and others.  Considering election night as an acute stressor for many, I can tell you from my own experience that these physiological effects were probably fairly common among Americans watching the results dramatically pour in.  Chronic stress reactions include increased fluid retention, increased fat storage, as well as decreased alertness and emotional responsiveness.  While these effects may be less prominent widely in the population, it would not be surprising that people very close to the campaigns experienced responses of this caliber.   

Along with these physiological effects, there are effects on Americans’ cognitive systems, as well; there has even been emergence of the concept of “Election Stress Disorder” (2).  There has been a lot of discussion regarding the more psychological effects of the election cycle.  An APA survey in September found that about 25% of people felt less productive and more stressed out at their jobs because of the political discussions taking place in the workplace (4, 2).  Election Stress Disorder is also associated with increased irritability and frustration, resentment, and hostility towards others like family members and coworkers (2).  A therapist talking about the topic said that he often sees couples taking this stress out on each other, causing issues in their relationships (2).  A lot of these behaviors are similar to what we learned about outcomes of directed attention fatigue.  And as we know, a result of stress is attentional fatigue.  So some of these behaviors may be outcomes of that attentional fatigue (as a result of the stress), rather than of the stress itself.  It wouldn’t be one bit surprising if people’s attention was fatigued throughout this election cycle, as it at times seemed to take over every part of our lives.

In addition to attentional fatigue, stress often leads to outcomes of unhealthy behaviors.  One therapist discussing Election Stress Disorder said that it can cause people to be drawn to drink more, or drive faster and with more aggression (2).  While this all applies to the election process before the president-elect was announced, I find it important that we are cognizant of the fact that these responses to our heightened stress are relevant post-election, as well, and we should take measures to reduce and cope with election-related stress as we move forward.

Sources:

1. American Psychological Association. 13 October 2016. "APA Survey Reveals 2016 Presidential Election Source Of Significant Stress For More Than Half Of Americans." http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/10/presidential-election-stress.aspx.

2. Itkowitz, Colby. 26 September 2016. "Feeling anxious ahead of the debate? Here's how to cope with 'Election Stress Disorder.'" Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/09/26/feeling-anxious-ahead-of-the-debate-heres-how-to-cope-with-election-stress-disorder/.

3. Clement, Scott. 28 January 2016. "69 percent say 'President Trump' makes them anxious." Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/28/69-percent-say-president-trump-makes-them-anxious/?tid=a_inl.

4. American Psychological Association. 14 September 2016. "1 in 4 Employees Negatively Affected By Political Talk At Work This Election Season, Finds New Survey." http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/09/employees-political-talk.aspx.