VCU news

By Sian Wilkerson

As the U.S. presidential election approaches, many Americans are feeling anxiety. For students, the unease can be even more acute.

“Young people have the most to win or lose with elections, as they will generally live longer with the consequences,” said Virginia Commonwealth University expert Michael Southam-Gerow. “They also have less experience with elections and their outcomes, so they may perceive them in a more extreme way.”

Southam-Gerow, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychology in VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences. His lab, the Center for Evidence-based Partnerships, focuses on the improvement of mental health services for children and families.

With Nov. 5 just around the corner, VCU News spoke with Southam-Gerow about why elections can be so anxiety-inducing and how students might relieve some of their fears.

What are some causes of election-related anxiety?

Elections can create anxiety for multiple reasons. They can portend change, and for many, change creates anxiety. Elections also create anxiety when our family or friends hold different opinions about the candidates than we do, potentially causing conflict. Additionally, many recent elections have been close, leading to long vote counts and claims about cheating.

Elections also have real consequences. Some folks can be disadvantaged by the outcome of an election, sometimes in serious ways. These and other factors make elections prone to causing anxiety.

It seems as though elections are causing more anxiety than ever. Would you agree?

I’m not an expert in the development of election anxiety, but anecdotally, it does feel true that election anxiety is worsening over time. Factors driving that perception may be the increasing emotional investment in our candidates – such a strong investment raises the perceived stakes of the outcome of the election.

It is also possible that social media has a magnifying effect. Given that networks feed more of the same to users via their algorithms, many of us may be marinating longer and more often in parts of the internet that cause or worsen election anxiety.

How can people reduce anxiety as the election approaches?

There are a few things to consider. We often divide coping into two big categories: problem-focused vs. emotion-focused. It is generally considered best to have a blend of these two.

The former approach would include working toward the election outcome you desire – through registering voters, knocking on doors or donating money or time. The emotion-focused approach would involve finding ways to take a break from election content and conversations and engaging in other activities that are both distracting and bring happiness to you. These can be things like exercise, going out with friends or family members, walking or hiking, reading and more.

Is there anything else you’d add?

Participating in elections is extremely important, and yet almost 40% of people opt out. For example, more than 80 million people did not vote in the 2020 presidential election. I strongly advocate that folks register to vote and cast their ballots.