Logo image
Back
Election worry, political identity, and subsequent physical health in the United States
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Election worry, political identity, and subsequent physical health in the United States

Daniel P. Relihan, Kayley D. Estes, Branislav Jovanovic, Dana Rose Garfin, Roxane Cohen Silver and E. Alison Holman
SSM - mental health, v 8, 100476
Dec 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100476
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100476View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Political polarization surrounding elections may have population-level physical health consequences over time. Given that psychological distress is associated with worse physical health, heightened election-related worry (a.k.a. election worry) may have negative physical health implications for the U.S. population. We assessed the prospective association between worry about the 2020 presidential election and new onset physical health ailments over the subsequent 3 years in a nationally representative U.S. sample (N = 4,311) and examined differences by political identity. Our longitudinal cohort study used the probability-based NORC AmeriSpeak Panel. Baseline physician-diagnosed mental and physical health conditions, smoking, political identity, and demographics were assessed pre-2020, with new-onset physical health ailments (e.g., heart problems, cancer, stroke) reassessed in Spring 2022 and Summer 2023. Election worry was measured in September–October 2020; political identity and demographics were updated Fall 2021. Adjusting for demographics, baseline health conditions, smoking, health insurance coverage, and prior mental health diagnosis, each one-unit increase in 2020 election worry was associated with 12% higher odds of developing any new-onset physical health ailments (OR = 1.12, 95% CI[1.01, 1.24], p = .026) over the subsequent 3 years. This association was significantly stronger for Republicans compared to Democrats (OR = 1.28, 95% CI[1.01, 1.62], p = .038). These findings suggest that election worry may be a social determinant of health with measurable physical health consequences, particularly among those whose political party loses the election. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate the health impacts of political stress in an increasingly polarized society. •Longitudinal probability-based nationally representative study in U.S. 2020–2023.•2020 election worry predicts higher odds of new physical health ailments 3 yrs later.•This association was stronger for Republicans than Democrats.•Democrats report more 2024 election worry than Republicans and Independents.•Growing worry over U.S. elections may undermine subsequent physical health.

Metrics

1 Record Views
1 citations in Web of Science

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: SDGs in the Output

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychiatry
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Logo image