By
Eileen Weber
February 2nd, 2026
Arash Javanbakht, M.D., is director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic at Wayne State University in Michigan.
To discover how politics can affect mental health just ask anyone who has attended a family gathering when it becomes a topic of conversation.
It is not just anecdotal; it’s research-based.
The American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America,” survey showed that more than three quarters of Americans felt physically and mentally distressed over politics. They reported that the future of the country was a significant source of stress in their lives.
Whether the subject is immigration, health care, transgender rights, tariffs or something else, what can be done been to alleviate the anxiety and depression that these issues can produce?
A...
