The American Psychological Association recently issued a press release detailing the results of surveys conducted on its behalf by the Harris Poll in August, 2016 and again in January, 2017. The report, “Stress in America: Coping with Change,” confirmed what many of us already knew, that stress experienced by Americans is on the rise. The two recent polls indicate the highest increase since these kinds of surveys began in 2008. Much of the heightened stress during the past six months was attributed to the political climate, the presidential election result, and worries about what the future holds. “Two-thirds of Americans say they are stressed about the future of our nation, including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans.” Perhaps not surprisingly, people who identified themselves as Democrats voiced a higher level of stress than those who identified themselves as Republicans, but neither party was immune from such symptoms as “headaches, feeling overwhelmed, feeling nervous or anxious, or feeling depressed or sad.” In an article published in the Boston Globe titled, “The Newest Topic of Therapist Couch Conversation? Politics,” Dugan Arnett wrote, “Since the November election, mental health professionals have reported a jump in political-related anxiety among patients, as a…
