Recent polling data reveal that 73% of adults feel anxious about the 2024 U.S. election. It’s a natural reaction made worse by social media algorithms, but science offers ways to mitigate it, said Petros Levounis, chair of psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “Every election cycle brings a flare-up of anxiety,” Levounis said, “but this year feels particularly intense.”

He attributed this heightened tension to several factors, including predictions of a close race and the still-growing influence of social media. The survey data supports Levounis’ observations. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) reported that 68% of U.S. adults considered the 2020 presidential election a significant source of stress, up from 52% in 2016. This stress affected 76% of Democrats, 67% of Republicans and 64% of Independents. Polls the APA conducted in April showed 70% of adults feel anxious about current events happening around the world, and 67% were already feeling election-related stress. To read the full story.