Honestly, we’ve all felt that pit in our stomach when the maps start turning red and blue on election night. It’s more than just "political stress." For some, it feels like the world is fundamentally shifting in a way that’s actually dangerous. You’ve probably seen the headlines or the panicked social media posts suggesting a massive spike in suicide rates after election cycles. People talk about it like it’s an inevitable wave of despair.
But if you look at the actual data—the stuff from the CDC and peer-reviewed journals—the reality is a lot weirder and, frankly, more complicated than a simple "bad result equals more deaths" narrative.
The Surprising Truth About Suicide Rates After Election Cycles
You’d think that when "your side" loses, the risk goes up. That’s the logical assumption, right? Despair leads to tragedy. However, researchers like Timothy J. Classen and Richard A. Dunn have spent years digging into this. In their study, The Politics of Hope and Despair, they found something totally counterintuitive.
They looked at decades of presidential elections and noticed that suicide rates actually tended to drop or stay lower in the months surrounding the vote. Why? It’s basically about social integration. Even if you're angry, you're part of a "we." You're watching the news, talking to friends, and engaging in a massive, shared national event.
Actually, in some years, the suicide rate when a state supports the losing candidate was roughly 4.6% lower for males and 5.3% lower for females compared to what you'd expect. It turns out that being around other people who are also disappointed creates a "we’re in this together" effect. It’s a weird kind of protective shield made of shared frustration.
Breaking Down the 2020 and 2024 Data
The 2020 election was a total anomaly because of COVID-19. While everyone expected suicide rates after election 2020 to skyrocket due to the double whammy of a pandemic and a hyper-polarized vote, the CDC reported a 3% decrease in the overall suicide rate from 2019 to 2020.
- Total Deaths: In 2019, it was 47,511.
- The 2020 Shift: It dropped to 45,979.
- The Rebound: By 2022, the numbers climbed back up to 49,476.
Wait, so what happened in 2024 and 2025? Early data suggests we are seeing "Election Stress Disorder" on steroids. While the actual death certificates take a long time to process and count, the American Psychological Association (APA) noted that 69% of adults reported the 2024 election as a significant source of stress. That's up from 52% in 2016.
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The real danger isn't necessarily the day after the vote. It's the "long tail" of chronic stress.
Why the "Losing Side" Doesn't Always See a Spike
There is this thing called the "unifying effect." Think about it. During an election, you have a purpose. You’re canvassing, you’re arguing on X (formerly Twitter), you’re part of a movement. Durkheim, the grandfather of sociology, argued that people are less likely to die by suicide when they feel tightly connected to a group.
But here’s the kicker: the risk seems to shift after the dust settles. Once the "ceremony" of the election is over and the 24-hour news cycle moves on to boring policy debates, that's when the isolation kicks in.
The Rhetoric Factor
We can't ignore the vitriol. A 2024 report in the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment by Nugent and Lee highlighted a scary link between "violent political rhetoric" and suicide risk in marginalized groups. When politicians use dehumanizing language—calling people "vermin" or "threats"—it doesn't just hurt feelings. It creates a "vicarious stress" that makes people feel like their physical safety is at stake.
For someone in the LGBTQ+ community or an immigrant family, the suicide rates after election aren't just about "my guy lost." It’s about "does the government think I should exist?" That kind of existential dread is a different beast entirely.
Misconceptions You Should Probably Stop Believing
People love a clean story. They want to say, "Trump won, so liberals are in danger," or "Biden won, so conservatives are despondent." It’s never that simple.
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- The "Blue Wall" Myth: Some people think blue states are "happier" and thus have lower suicide rates. In reality, some of the highest suicide rates in the country are in rural, deeply "red" states like Montana and Wyoming. But this is mostly due to social isolation and access to firearms, not who is in the White House.
- The Immediate Spike: There is rarely a "spike" on Wednesday morning after the election. Suicide is usually the result of a long, compounding series of stressors—debt, relationship issues, health problems—and the election is just the final weight that breaks the scale.
- The Holiday Effect: People often conflate election season with the winter holidays. We often see a "broken promise" effect where people hold on through a big event (like an election or Christmas) hoping things will feel better afterward. When they don't, that's the danger zone.
What the 2026 Landscape Looks Like
As we move into 2026, the data is still catching up. We know that in 2023, the suicide rate hit about 14.1 per 100,000 people. Males are still about four times more likely to die by suicide than females, largely because they use more lethal methods, like firearms, which accounted for 55% of all suicide deaths in recent counts.
| Group | Suicide Rate (per 100,000) |
|---|---|
| Males (Overall) | 22.7 |
| Females (Overall) | 5.9 |
| Adults 85+ | 22.6 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 17.6 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 9.1 |
If you're looking at these numbers and feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. The political climate is a "chronic stressor." It's like a low-grade fever that won't go away.
Actionable Steps: How to Actually Protect Your Mental Health
If the political climate is making you feel like there's no hope, you need a strategy that isn't just "delete your apps."
1. Audit Your Information Intake
You don't need to be "informed" 24/7. Research shows that people who check political news more than twice a day have significantly higher cortisol levels. Set a timer. Give yourself 20 minutes in the morning, then shut it down.
2. Find "Micro-Communities"
The election is "macro." Your local gardening club, your pick-up basketball game, or your neighborhood bake sale is "micro." These smaller circles provide the social integration that actually prevents despair.
3. Recognize the "Physical" Signs
Political anxiety isn't just in your head. It’s the tight chest, the headaches, and the insomnia. If you’re losing sleep over a Senate subcommittee hearing, your body is in "fight or flight" mode. You need to ground yourself physically—walk, lift weights, or just sit in the sun.
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4. Know the Numbers That Matter
If you or someone you know is reaching a breaking point, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is the only "political" number that matters. It’s free, it’s 24/7, and it works regardless of who you voted for.
The bottom line? Elections change laws, but they shouldn't have to change your will to be here. The data shows we are more resilient than the headlines suggest. We tend to huddle together when things get tough, and that's exactly what we need to keep doing.
Stop looking at the national map and start looking at the person sitting across the table from you. That's where the real work of staying healthy happens.
Key Resources for Immediate Support
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (English and Spanish).
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth): Call 866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678.
- Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then press 1.
Next Steps for You:
Check in on one friend today who you know is politically active or stressed. Don't talk about the news. Just ask them how they’re actually doing. Sometimes, just being heard is the best intervention there is.
If you're feeling a "political hangover," try a 48-hour news fast. It’s amazing how much the world doesn't end when you aren't watching it happen in real-time.