(Washington, DC, Tuesday, December 18, 2018) – The current political climate, as well as family responsibilities and relationships, are significant sources of stress for many Americans, according to the latest American Psychological Association (APA) Stress in America™ survey. In a few weeks, for many Americans, all of these stressors will merge together at the holiday dinner table.

The current political climate is a significant source of stress (62 percent) for people, and one quarter of Americans (26 percent) reported that the political climate has caused strain between them and their family members. Family responsibilities (55 percent) and relationships (50 percent) are also significant sources of stress. With the survey showing 84 percent of Americans believing that it is important to speak out about what they believe in, social gatherings can quickly become a minefield.

Navigating these differences around issues like politics, gun control and immigration can be challenging, but there are ways to cope, such as finding common ground or having realistic conversation goals.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.