Abstract
Objectives
To quantify the effect of politics on the physical, psychological, and social health of American adults during the four-year span of the Trump administration.
Methods
A previously validated politics and health scale was used to compare health markers in nationally representative surveys administered to separate samples in March 2017 (N = 800) and October 2020 (N = 700). Participants in the 2020 survey were re-sampled approximately two weeks after the 2020 election and health markers were compared to their pre-election baselines.
Results
Large numbers of Americans reported politics takes a significant toll on a range of health markers—everything from stress, loss of sleep, or suicidal thoughts to an inability to stop thinking about politics and making intemperate social media posts. The proportion of Americans reporting these effects stayed stable or slightly increased between the spring of 2017 and the fall of 2020 prior to the presidential election. Deterioration in measures of physical health became detectably worse in the wake of the 2020 election. Those who were young, politically interested, politically engaged, or on the political left were more likely […]
Stephan, I agree with this excellent article you’ve posted. The blatant attack on democracy by the GOP, is definitely stressing out the people in our country. Coupled with the effects of the Covid pandemic, and the extreme right’s deliberate resistance to decreasing the deaths and infection cases -by refusing immunizations and masks – it’s no wonder why we are stressed. At this point, it’s both imperative and logical, for our survival as people and country,to vote all Democratic.
I totally agree with you Stephan. I cannot even get my step-daughter to vote or get her shots because she says she is allergic to so many things. I myself am allergic to most man-made things but not the covid-virus shots and told her to get her shots to protect herself and her family. I also told her to please vote Democratic to help our whole country.