WASHINGTON, D.C. — 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 that 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 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly Poll*, which was fielded by Morning Consult Nov. 16-17, 2024, among 2,201 adults.

“Although there are several different holidays we celebrate in December, many of us share the same anxiety and excitement about preparing for them,” said APA President Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., Dr.Med.Sec. “Holiday stress is normal, and as psychiatrists, we understand that the social determinants of mental health can and do influence the experience of the winter holidays.”

And Americans are still finding reasons to be cheerful over the holidays:

• 41% said they look forward to seeing family and friends
• 24% said they look forward to eating good food
• 8% said they look forward to taking time off
• 8% said they look forward to giving and receiving gifts

2024 is the fourth consecutive year that the APA has polled on holiday mental health, and several trends have emerged: affording gifts and affording meals consistently place in the top holiday concerns identified. This year, 36% of respondents shared that they were “very anxious” or “somewhat anxious” about COVID-19, which marks the second year in a row that this number has increased (3% increase from 2023).

“For many, the holidays bring about mixed feelings, from joy to worry to grief,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A. “Mental health is often tested over the winter holidays and it’s important to remember that although finding the perfect gift or preparing the favorite feast is gratifying, we can find meaning in the season by spending time with the people who mean the most to us.”

*APA’s Healthy Minds Monthly tracks timely mental health issues throughout the year, see past Healthy Minds Monthly polls. For a copy of the results, contact [email protected].

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA's vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.