While most of the US is worried about the upcoming 2020 presidential election, stressed LGBTQ adults are also worried about the same things we always worry about: discrimination.
This was one of the findings in the annual “Stress in America” survey conducted by Harris Poll with the American Psychological Association (APA) between August 1 to September 3 and polling 3,617 adults across the US.
Stressed LGBTQ adults focus on impact of discrimination
Not surprising, the LGBTQ community have noted that the impact of discrimination as a main point of stress with 64 percent.
This was also a major point for the minority community with 63 percent of people of color citing it in the survey.
Overall, discrimination has risen as a stressor in 2019 (25 percent) versus 24 percent in 2018, 21 percent in 2017, 20 percent in 2016, and 20 percent in 2015.
“There is a lot of uncertainty in our world right now,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., APA’s chief executive officer, in a statement.
Evans added: “Research shows us that over time, prolonged feelings of anxiety and stress can affect our overall physical and mental health.”
Stressed LGBTQ adults suffer from being in the minority
For the sexual minority like the LGBTQ community, one of the more cited explanatory frameworks is the minority stress model.
The model can be described as the relationship between minority and dominant values, with a resulting clash in the social environment experienced by the minority group members.
The stressors are induced by a hostile, homophobic culture, which leads to a lifetime of harassment, maltreatment, discrimination, and victimization.
While the minority individual will require them to adapt to the environment, this, in turn, may impact their access to care.
Majority of US adults stressing about the elections
The survey noted that aside from the usual concerns of work and money, American adults in general are concerned about mass shootings, access to healthcare, and the upcoming presidential elections.
“While overall stress levels have not changed significantly over the past few years, the proportion of Americans who say they are experiencing stress about specific issues has risen over the past year,” a press release on the survey declared.
Of the adults who were surveyed, 56 percent said the 2020 elections is a “significant stressor.” This was an increase from 52 percent of those who were stressed from the 2016 presidential elections.
What’s more, the elections is a stressful topic more for those who identify as Democrats by almost 25 percent, as compared to those who identify as Republicans.
Other things US adults are also stressing about
The survey further documented that 69 percent of adults cited healthcare and its costs as a notable point of stress.
Likewise, 71 percent cited mass shootings as stressful, which was higher than the APA’s survey in 2018 by about 10 percent.
Other topics that caused stress were climate change, immigration, national security, and abortion. These are also marked as “hot-button” issues in the news cycle, the APA noted.
Among those they surveyed, 54 percent keep themselves informed but found the news as stressful. Not surprising that 39 percent have reduced their news consumption in the past year.