1
|
Mukhopadhyay S. Elections have (health) consequences: Depression, anxiety, and the 2020 presidential election. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022; 47:101191. [PMID: 36257104 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we examine the effect of the 2020 presidential election on anxiety and depression among Americans. We use data from the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a nationally representative rapid response survey conducted weekly from April to July of 2020 and then bi-weekly until December of 2021. The high-frequency nature of the survey implies that we can identify week-to-week changes in mental health outcomes. We find that self-reported symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety and depression increased steadily up to the presidential election and declined after the election. The anxiety and depression levels are significantly higher around the 2020 election than in April 2020, when most of the U.S. was under mandatory or advisory stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, anxiety and depression-specific office visits and usage of mental-health-specific prescription drugs show similar patterns. Robustness checks rule out alternative explanations such as a COVID-19 surge or vaccine development.
Collapse
|
2
|
Prasad S, Knight EL, Sarkar A, Welker KM, Lassetter B, Mehta PH. Testosterone fluctuations in response to a democratic election predict partisan attitudes toward the elected leader. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105396. [PMID: 34508970 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Intergroup competitions such as democratic elections can intensify intergroup polarization and conflict. Partisan attitudes toward the elected leader can also shift from before to after an election, but the biology underlying these attitudinal shifts remains largely unknown. An important factor could be the hormone testosterone, which is theorized to fluctuate during competition and to influence status seeking. In a naturalistic study of 113 registered voters, we measured changes in testosterone levels and attitudes toward the winner of the 2012 US Presidential Election. We found that supporters of the losing candidate (Mitt Romney) showed acute increases in testosterone levels compared to supporters of the winner (Barack Obama) on the evening of Election Day. Supporters of the losing candidate also demonstrated flatter diurnal testosterone slopes on Election Day that persisted up to two days after the election. Furthermore, greater increases in acute testosterone levels and flatter diurnal slopes among supporters of the losing candidate were associated with less positive evaluations of the winning candidate. These testosterone-moderated attitudinal shifts observed in the days after the election showed a directionally similar pattern with a weaker effect size six months later. Finally, we confirmed that the main results were robust to alternative data analytic choices using multiverse specification curve analysis. The findings from this paper suggest that hormonal responses to large-scale intergroup competitions may shape how we perceive our elected leaders, shedding light on the biology of intergroup relations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Smrithi Prasad
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA; Division of Social Sciences, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore.
| | - Erik L Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Amar Sarkar
- Trinity College, Trinity Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TQ, UK; Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, Fitzwilliam Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QH, UK; Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Keith M Welker
- College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Bethany Lassetter
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA; Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H0AP, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Murray SL, Seery MD, Lamarche VM, Jung HY, Saltsman TL, Griffin DW, Dubois D, Xia J, Ward DE, McNulty J. Looking for Safety in All the Right Places: When Threatening Political Reality Strengthens Family Relationship Bonds. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/19485506211018351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Elections and pandemics highlight how much one’s safety depends on fellow community members, a realization that is especially threatening when this collective perceives political realities inconsistent with one’s own. Two longitudinal studies examined how people restored safety to social bonds when everyday experience suggested that fellow community members inhabited inconsistent realities. We operationalized consensus political realities through the negativity of daily nationwide social media posts mentioning President Trump (Studies 1 and 2), and the risks of depending on fellow community members through the pending transition to a divided Congress during the 2018 election season (Study 1), and escalating daily U.S. COVID-19 infections (Study 2). On days that revealed people could not count on fellow community members to perceive the same reality of President Trump’s stewardship they perceived, being at greater risk from the judgment and behavior of the collective community motivated people to find greater happiness in their family relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark D. Seery
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ji Xia
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Deborah E. Ward
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Is divisive politics making Americans sick? Associations of perceived partisan polarization with physical and mental health outcomes among adults in the United States. Soc Sci Med 2021; 284:113976. [PMID: 34247898 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate whether changes in perceived partisan polarization since the 2016 US presidential election and current perceptions of polarization are associated with the onset of physical and mental health conditions in adults. METHODS We surveyed a nationally-representative sample (n = 2752) of US adults between December 2019 and January 2020. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations between perceived polarization and the incidence of hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and anxiety, depressive, and sleep disorders in or after 2016 and current self-rated health. Our secondary exposure variables measured perceptions of mass and elite polarization at the state and national level. Perceived mass polarization measured perceptions of the partisan gap between Democrat and Republican voters; perceived elite polarization measured perceptions of the partisan gap between Democrat and Republican elected officials. RESULTS Participants reporting an increase in polarization had 52-57% higher odds of developing depressive disorders (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.29, P = 0.047) and anxiety disorders (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.29, P = 0.02) compared to participants who perceived no change in polarization. Those reporting high (vs. low) levels of perceived state-level mass polarization had a 49% higher odds of incident depressive disorders (P = 0.03). Participants who perceived high levels of state-level elite polarization reported a 71% higher odds of incident depressive disorders (P = 0.004) and a 49% higher odds of incident sleep disorders (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Perceptions of partisan polarization may represent important factors that are linked to the onset of mental health and sleep disorders.
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the effects of recent political events on mood among young physicians. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING United States medical centres. PARTICIPANTS 2345 medical interns provided longitudinal mood data as part of the Intern Health Study between 2016 and 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mean mood score during the week following influential political and non-political events as compared with mean mood during the preceding four week control period. RESULTS We identified nine political events and eight non-political events for analysis. With the start of internship duties in July, the mean decline in mood for interns was -0.30 (95% confidence interval -0.33 to -0.27, t=-17.45, P<0.001). The decline in mood was of similar magnitude following the 2016 presidential election (mean mood change -0.32, 95% confidence interval -0.45 to -0.19, t=-4.73, P<0.001) and subsequent inauguration (mean mood change -0.25, 95% confidence interval -0.37 to -0.12, t=-3.93, P<0.001). Further, compared with men, women reported greater mood declines after both the 2016 election (mean gender difference 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.58, t=2.33, P=0.02) and the inauguration (mean gender difference 0.25, 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.49, t=2.05, P=0.04). Overall, there were statistically significant changes in mood following 66.7% (6/9) of political events assessed. In contrast, none of the non-political events included in the analysis were statistically significantly associated with a change in mood. CONCLUSIONS Macro level factors such as politics may be correlated with the mood of young doctors. This finding signals the need for further evaluation of the consequences of increasing entanglement between politics and medicine moving forward for young physicians and their patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Frank
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brahmajee K Nallamothu
- Michigan Integrated Center for Health Analytics and Medical Prediction and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zhuo Zhao
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Srijan Sen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ease and control: the cognitive benefits of hierarchy. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 33:131-135. [PMID: 31430714 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This review identifies two cognitive benefits of social hierarchy that may contribute to hierarchy maintenance. First, research indicates that people pay attention to hierarchies automatically, early, and accurately. As a result, hierarchies feel easy to process, which increases liking and support of hierarchy. Second, through their clear, predictable structures and the opportunities they provide for personal agency, hierarchies help people satisfy their need for control, which may lead people to seek out and maintain hierarchy, especially if they currently hold a high rank or believe in social mobility. These cognitive benefits of ease and control may have effects on the performance of hierarchies and on people's willingness to change unfair structures.
Collapse
|
7
|
Hoyt LT, Zeiders KH, Chaku N, Toomey RB, Nair RL. Young adults' psychological and physiological reactions to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 92:162-169. [PMID: 29606376 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Elections present unique opportunities to study how sociopolitical events influence individual processes. The current study examined 286 young adults' mood and diurnal cortisol responses to the 2016 U.S. presidential election in real-time: two days before the election, election night, and two days after the election of Donald Trump, with the goal of understanding whether (and the extent to which) the election influenced young adults' affective and biological states. Utilizing piecewise trajectory analyses, we observed high, and increasing, negative affect leading up to the election across all participants. Young adults who had negative perceptions of Trump's ability to fulfill the role of president and/or were part of a non-dominant social group (i.e., women, ethnic/racial minority young adults) reported increased signs of stress before the election and on election night. After the election, we observed a general "recovery" in self-reported mood; however, diurnal cortisol indicators suggested that there was an increase in biological stress among some groups. Overall, findings underscore the role of macro-level factors in individuals' health and well-being via more proximal attitudes and physiological functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay T Hoyt
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Katharine H Zeiders
- Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Department of Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Natasha Chaku
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Russell B Toomey
- Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Department of Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Rajni L Nair
- College of Integrative Science and Arts, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Durante KM, Arsena AR, Griskevicius V. Fertility Can Have Different Effects on Single and Nonsingle Women. Psychol Sci 2014; 25:1150-2. [DOI: 10.1177/0956797614524422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
|