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APA Public Opinion Poll – Annual Meeting 2019

Interviews: 1,005 US Adults

Dates: April 6-10, 2019

Q1. How anxious are you about each of the following?

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined Extremely and Somewhat Anxious Extremely anxious Somewhat anxious Not that anxious Not anxious at all
Keeping myself or my family safe 66 32 34 25 9
Paying my bills or expenses 66 33 33 22 12
My health 64 24 40 25 11
The impact of politics on my daily life 51 13 38 32 17
My relationships with family, friends, and coworker 49 18 31 31 20

Q2. In general, are you more or less anxious than you were at this time last year?

More anxious

32

Less anxious

24

About the same

43

Not sure

2

Q3. Do you think social media usage in the U.D. is...?

Both positive and negative

45

Impacting mental health in a negative way

38

Impacting mental health in a positive way

5

No impact

5

Not sure

6

Q4. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined Completely and Somewhat Agree Completely Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree Completely Disagree Not Sure
The amount of social media activity among children and teens is concerning. 88 52 36 6 2 3
Social media usage is related to feelings of loneliness or social isolation. 67 24 44 16 6 10

Q5. Do you use a social media app to support your mental health?

Yes

14

No

86

Q6. Do you think suicidal behavior is preventable?

Yes

63

No

8

Not sure

28

Q7. How much impact do you feel each of the following has on the rate of suicide in the U,.S.?

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined major/moderate impact Major impact Moderate impact Not much impaxct No impact at all
Stressful personal situations (divorce, death or loved one, etc.) 95 58 37 4 2
Mental illness 95 73 22 4 2
Personal finances 91 50 40 8 2
Physical illness 85 36 49 13 2
Occupational or workplace stress 81 28 52 17 2
Lack of access to health care 76 41 35 20 4
Social media usage 74 30 45 22 4
Media coverage of celebrity suicides 55 17 39 36 9

Q8. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined Strongly and Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Somewhat Disagree Completely Disagree Refused
Someone's mental health has an impact on their physical health. 84 51 33 11 3 1 1
Untreated mental illness has a significant negative impact on the U.S. economy. 71 33 38 22 4 1 1
There is less stigma against people with mental illness than there was 10 years ago. 54 15 39 25 13 7 1
People with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence than be perpetrators of violence. 43 15 27 37 15 5 1
I would not vote for a candidate for elected office who has been diagnosed with a mental illness, even if the candidate had been treated for it. 34 15 19 32 17 15 2
The mental health needs of military veterans are being met under the current mental health system. 20 10 10 19 27 34 1

Q9. How much of a priority do you think policymakers in Washington, D.C. consider mental health? Do they consider mental health to be...?

A top priority

10

Somewhat of a priority

20

Somewhat less of a priority

35

Not a priority

34

Refused

2

Q10. How would you define your benefits status as an employee?

Full-time with benefits

35

Part-time with benefits

3

Employed without benefits

14

Self-employed

6

Not employed

43

Q11. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined Completely and Somewhat Agree Completely Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree Completely Disagree Not sure
I know how to access mental health care services through work if I need it. 70 38 32 14 10 6
I feel comfortable utilizing mental health services with my current employer. 62 28 34 16 12 10
My employer offers sufficient mental health care resources/benefits. 61 27 33 17 10 13
I can discuss mental health openly and honestly with my supervisors. 51 20 30 19 19 11
I can discuss mental health openly and honestly with my coworkers. 51 21 30 18 20 11
I worry about retaliation, or being fired, if I seek mental health care. 35 15 20 22 38 6

Q12. Which of the following types of mental health resources are offered by your employer?

Employee Assistance Program (EAPs)

41

Primary care that offers sufficient mental health coverage

36

Mental health days

14

On-site mental health care - such as a clinic with therapists on staff

14

Mental Health First Aid training

12

Holistic wellness programs

12

Virtual coaching - such as Headspace

8

Other

1

Don't know

17

None of the above

11

Q13. How likely are you to recognize signs of anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns among a coworker?

Combined very/somewhat likely

75

Very likely

34

Somewhat likely

42

Combined very/somewhat unlikely

19

Very unlikely

15

Somewhat unlikely

4

Not sure

6

Q14. If you did notice a worker showing signs of anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, which best describes your response?

I would reach out and guide them toward mental health resources.

54

I would reach out, but would not know where to guide them for mental health resources.

24

I would not feel comfortable reaching out but would notify their close friend or supervisor.

18

I would not feel comfortable reaching out and would not notify anyone.

4

Q15. Please tell us if you think the following statements are true or false:

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined definitely and probably true Definitely true Probably true Probably false Definitely false Not sure
Climate change is already impacting the health of Americans. 65 26 39 14 11 11
Climate change is already impacting the mental health of Americans. 48 17 30 21 14 17

Q16. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements (ROTATE)

Ranked by highest percentage.

Combined Strongly and Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree
Gun violence, including violence from mass shootings, is a public health threat 84 56 29 11 5
Congress should do more to address the issue of gun violence, including violence from mass shootings 82 55 26 11 7

Q17. Congress has not committed to providing funding to the CDC to conduct research on gun violence. Do you support or oppose an increase in government spending on such research?

Combined Strongly/Somewhat Support

63

Strongly Support

32

Somewhat Support

31

Combined Strongly/Somewhat Oppose

24

Strongly Oppose

14

Somewhat Oppose

10

Not sure

13

Q18. What do you use to support your mental health? Select all that apply.

Talk to friends and family

57

Receive care from psychologist, therapist or psychiatrist

22

Talk with clergy member or religious leader

12

Use mental health app

7

Other

10

None

25

Q16. When it comes to politics, as of today, do you consider yourself to be

Combined Republican /leans Republican

34

A Republican

23

An independent who leans Republican

11

An independent

22

Combined Democrat/leans Democrat

41

An independent who leans Democrat

11

A Democrat

30

Some other party

3

Media Contacts

Glenn O'Neal, 202-459-9732
press@psych.org

Erin Connors, 202-609-7113
econnors@psych.org

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