Post-election stress: Black women and their mental health

Black women voters and elected officials poured their hearts and souls — and finances — into campaigning on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris for president for an emotionally turbulent three and a half months. Now that the 2024 presidential election is over, many are asking how her biggest supporters are faring and dealing with the stress of the process and the result.

Generally speaking, politics can cause a form of chronic stress that evokes negative emotions and feelings of distress, said Brett Ford, associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. Ford said conversations about race and gender discrimination also can often “feel” political, and perhaps lead to chronic stress-like tension.

“The mental health impact of this election cannot be overstated, especially where it concerns women of color,” said Sen. Samra Brouk, who chairs the Senate Mental Health Committee. “As a Black mother and an elected official, I can relate to feeling stressed, frustrated, or fearful about our future. I will continue to fight to secure mental health resources, improve maternal health outcomes, and uplift our young people so we can ease community burdens and help our most vulnerable individuals.”

A final count of 89% of Black women voters cast their ballot for Harris in 2024, according to the Associated Press (AP) VoteCast, a survey of the American electorate conducted by NORC (formerly the National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago; more than any other demographic, and an unsurprising number considering that Black women remain a major and loyal voting bloc for Democrats.

Nationally, Black women advocates and organizers treated Harris’s announcement of her presidential candidacy in July as a battle cry, raising more than $1.5 million in just a few hours on a Zoom call. They rejoiced wholeheartedly when Harris made history as the first woman of color to be named the Democratic presidential nominee. They strapped on their boots and picked up their canvassing armor, trekking into Republican districts and swing states by the thousands in hopes of swaying voters. In short, they showed up and showed out for Harris.