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The study, published Tuesday, found that 69 percent of adult Americans feel stressed about the future of the United States. This is a substantial increase from 2017, when only 63 percent of those surveyed said the same thing, the APA notes.
In addition, 62 percent of those polled said that the current political climate causes them “significant” stress, and 61 percent disagreed with the notion that the country is “on a path to becoming stronger than ever.”
That said, the most common sources of stress are still money and work, with 64 percent of adults saying these factors affect their mental health. The upside? Almost half of Americans, 45 percent, said they feel motivated to support political and social causes they’re passionate about as a result of the stress.
The survey also focused heavily on young people between the ages of 15 and 21, known as Generation Z, born after Millennials. Gen Zers old enough to vote in the upcoming midterms are the least likely age group to do so — with only 54 percent planning to hit the polls compared to 70 percent of adults overall.
About one-third of Gen Z also says that housing instability and debt significantly stress them out. They’re also more likely than other young generations, including Millennials and Gen X, to say their mental health is only “fair or poor.” About 27 percent of Gen Zers reported this, versus 15 percent of Millennials and 13 percent of Gen X. Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to receive therapy or other treatment than any other generation.
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“Current events are clearly stressful for everyone in the country, but young people are really feeling the impact of issues in the news, particularly those issues that may feel beyond their control,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s CEO, in a statement.
source: people.com
