Mental Health in Times of Democratic Backsliding: Insights from Trump's Second Term

The United States is currently experiencing democratic backsliding. In this commentary, I consider how this backsliding impairs the mental health of Americans. Surprisingly, the literature on democratic backsliding has little to say about its impact on mental health, and the literature on mental health has little to say about the role of democratic backsliding. I draw on anecdotes, news stories, polls, and real-world events from Trump's second term to theorize about a potential connection. I highlight three ways that democratic backsliding might give rise to feelings of depression, anxiety, and to a lesser extent post-traumatic stress disorder. I then discuss how this mental toll may be felt unequally across citizens and may create a feedback loop that gives rise to more democratic backsliding. I conclude by urging scholars to build on these ideas as we collectively seek to develop and refine our understanding of this important topic.