Americans are heading into the holiday season feeling more stressed than they did a year ago, according to a new national poll from the American Psychiatric Association.

Expected holiday stress hovered around 30% between 2022 and 2024. This year the number of people surveyed who expect stress around the holidays jumped to 41%.

“The two things I'm hearing the most in terms of an increase in anxiety related to holiday stress this year are financial concerns and then just concerns about, like familial conflict, “ said Anne Cusack, a psychologist at UC San Diego Health.

A lot of the tension showing up in families reflects the mood of the country, said Cusack.

“I think as our country has gotten more politically divided, family tensions have come up around that as well. So, you know, it's de

See Full Page