Citation

Roche MJ, Jacobson NC. Psychol. Rep. 2019; 122(2): 451-464.

Affiliation

The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0033294118767365

PMID

29621944

Abstract

Polling suggested that the 2016 United States presidential election affected citizens' mood and stress levels. Yet, polling often fails to employ repeated measurement designs that can capture pre- and post-levels of change within the same person. In this study, undergraduate students ( N = 85) completed a 14-day daily diary where mood, stress, and mental health outcomes were assessed before and after the election. Multilevel modeling revealed an immediate upsurge in anxiety, stress, and poor sleep quality the day after the election, followed by a recovery period indicating these effects were short-lived. Other reactions (anger, fear, marginalization, and experiencing discrimination) evidenced a significant upsurge without a significant recovery. We consider how daily diary research designs like this one could be integrated into college settings to inform counseling center resource allocation, and we also comment on the promise of the daily diary methodology for political research.

Language: en

Keywords

2016 presidential election; anxiety; discrimination; ecological momentary assessment; identity; mental and physical health; mental health; self-esteem; self-worth; social perceptions