According to national surveys conducted in 2017 and 2020 by Kevin B. Smith, a professor of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 40 percent of U.S. adults cited politics as a major stressor, with 1 in 20 reporting suicidal thoughts linked to recent political events.

“If a new vaping product or soft drink hits the market and 1 in 20 consumers report suicidal thoughts, public outrage would be swift. Investigations would follow, regulations would tighten, and headlines would be flooded with concern for public health. But when political stress yields similar numbers, the reaction is far more muted; politics doesn’t seem to register in the same way,” says Smith.

“We don’t know if it’s causal,” Smith warns, “but the alarming correlation between political stress and suicidal ideation is concerning.” He emphasizes the need for further studies to grasp the effects of political stress on well-being.

The American Psychological Association’s 2024 Stress in America survey revealed that 77 percent of........

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