In Case You Haven't Heard…

More than one-quarter of Americans say they are more stressed this holiday season than in 2023, citing financial concerns and missing loved ones, according to a Nov. 25 news release from the American Psychiatric Association (APA). As the winter holidays approach, 28% of Americans say they are experiencing more stress related to the holiday season than they did last year, but the causes of their stress vary. A few of the top stressors identified were affording holiday gifts (46%), grieving a loss/missing a loved one (47%) and dealing with challenging family dynamics (35%). More than half of 18- to 34-year-olds (54%) reported being “very” or “somewhat” worried about affording holiday gifts, whereas only 38% of those 65 and older felt the same way. Although 2024 is an election year, only 23% of respondents said they were worried about discussing politics or current events with family over the holidays, consistent with what was reported in 2023. Along party lines, 30% of Democrats were concerned about talking politics at the holiday dinner table, but only 21% of Republicans shared their concern, and that number dropped to 17% for Independents. These results were drawn from the APA Healthy Minds Monthly Poll, which was conducted by Morning Consult, a business intelligence company, on Nov. 16-17, 2024, among 2,201 adults.