Healthy Minds Monthly Poll: Personal Finances Were Still a Major Source of Anxiety for Americans Leading Into 2024
Washington, D.C. – In a poll fielded in December, most adults said they were anxious about their personal finances (59%) and the uncertainty in the new year (54%). More than one-third (38%) were anxious about their mental health—a trend consistent with prior year’s polling. Just under half (44%) of adults said they anticipate experiencing the same level of stress at the start of 2024 as they did at the start of 2023, while one in four said they expect more stress.
These results come from the American Psychiatric Association (APA)’s latest Healthy Minds Monthly* poll, fielded by Morning Consult Dec. 2-4, 2023, among 2,202 adults. The polls run each month throughout the year, tracking information on mental health and anxiety.
Anxiety over Current Events in 2023
Looking back at the 2023 Healthy Minds Polls offers some insight on trends in American’s levels of anxiety on current events. Over the past year, adults have remained most anxious about inflation, a recession, and gun violence. Adults have consistently been least anxious about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other topics on which Americans have been anxious have included hate speech and hate crimes, which peaked at 67% in November, and international conflict, which also peaked in November at 70%. Concern about the future of reproductive rights ticked up near the end of the year to 54%, while climate change worries slightly dropped in the winter (53%). Worries about artificial intelligence (AI), while on the minds of many Americans, stayed relatively flat at about 55% since August 2023.
Thinking about current events, how anxious do you feel, if at all, about the following?
| Total Anxious % | Inflation | A Recession | Gun Violence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 2023 | 80 | 73 | 68 |
| Feb. 2023 | 79 | 71 | 69 |
| Mar. 2023 | 81 | 73 | 67 |
| Apr. 2023 | 78 | 70 | 67 |
| May 2023 | 79 | 69 | 68 |
| Jul. 2023 | 76 | 68 | 69 |
| Aug. 2023 | 75 | 67 | 67 |
| Sep. 2023 | 80 | 70 | 68 |
| Oct. 2023 | 74 | 65 | 67 |
| Nov. 2023 | 78 | 69 | 70 |
| Dec. 2023 | 80 | 72 | 70 |
While most trends in anxiety were similar across demographics, APA did find some differences in the results for the Hispanic population, illustrated in the chart below.
| % Anxious | Adults | Age 18-34 | Age 35-44 | Age 45-64 | Age 65+ | Hispanic | Non-Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal finances | 59% | 60% | 56% | 67% | 48% | 62% | 59% |
| Uncertainty of the next year | 54% | 59% | 51% | 58% | 44% | 55% | 54% |
| Physical health | 48% | 50% | 42% | 51% | 46% | 46% | 48% |
| Mental health | 38% | 53% | 48% | 34% | 17% | 45% | 37% |
| Relationships with friends & family | 30% | 41% | 31% | 29% | 17% | 37% | 29% |
| Job security | 29% | 44% | 40% | 29% | 5% | 42% | 27% |
| Romantic relationships | 27% | 43% | 36% | 21% | 9% | 34% | 26% |
| Keeping my New Year's resolution | 27% | 40% | 31% | 21% | 17% | 35% | 26% |
| Traveling | 26% | 38% | 25% | 21% | 20% | 40% | 23% |
*More demographic information is available in the full report. Please email [email protected] for access.
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.