Depending on your perspective, last week’s election might have taken a toll on both mental and physical health—a trend experts say is increasingly common.
Research highlights the growing stress tied to elections. In 2016, the presidential election caused significant stress for 52% of adults. By this year, that number surged to 69%. Concerns about post-election violence were even higher, with 74% expressing worry, and over half of Americans feared the election's outcome could jeopardize democracy itself.
Some communities felt the impact even more acutely. While 51% of Americans were concerned about how the results would affect their personal safety, that number rose to 65% among the LGBTQ community, underscoring the heightened anxiety within vulnerable groups.
What are other things mental health experts are seeing in their patients and in their fields? And how do we talk to each other in an age where division and polarization dominates so much of our lives?
Mental Health Resources:
Guests: Jim Jobin, adult clinical coordinator, UNLV; Whitney Lewis, licensed clinical social worker; Tara McManus, associate professor of communications, UNLV
