Local psychologist on 2024 election-related stress and anxiety

COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — With election day on the horizon, folks have plenty on their minds. A local psychology professional said elections can lead to increased stress and anxiety.

He added this is especially true with the presidential race between Republican candidate Former President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.

"People tend to become quite anxious. I think, especially this cycle, people have been more anxious," said Dr. Albert Eaton, a clinical psychologist and Piedmont's director of behavioral science for family medicine residency.

Eaton continued, "There has been a lot of name-calling and we haven't seen that in a little while. There's a lot of, sort of, catastrophizing."

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According to the American Psychological Association's 2024 Stress in America survey conducted among 3,305 U.S. adults , 77% said they were significantly stressed about the future of our country.

Trends show that the distress surrounding politics is also increasing. The APA reports those rates have risen from 52% of adults in 2016 to 69% in 2024 .

But Eaton said these fears have an evolutionary basis, primitive mechanisms left over from a time when humans had to worry about being chased by predatory creatures.

"We're thinking about, 'Oh, what could happen?' And we respond to that," Eaton said. "They go back a long ways, when threats were more imminent, but it's been a long time since most of us have been chased by a bear or a saber tooth tiger or any kind of here-and-now kind of threat."

If you are feeling significant anxiety surrounding the election, Eaton said staying glued to the TV for updates could cause more harm than good.

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The APA recommends coping with political stress by limiting exposure to political information and making time to talk with trusted family, friends or healthcare professionals if you are feeling distressed.

"The thing to remember is that this is an election and we have elections every four years. We really have elections every two years, and life goes on," said Eaton, adding, "That's the key. And that's the thing to remind yourself of, that it's not the end of the world."

According to the APA, 74% of Stress in American survey respondents were concerned about violence following election results.

More than half (56%) also said they worried it could be the end of democracy.