The stress and loneliness of an increasingly divided society has left many Americans wondering if the grass is greener elsewhere. (Credit: Kosoff on Shutterstock)

3 In 4 Admit They’re More Stressed About Nation’s Future Than Before

In A Nutshell

• 63% of young adults (ages 18-34) and 53% of parents have considered leaving the U.S. due to the state of the nation
• Half of all adults report signs of loneliness, while 69% say they needed more emotional support this year than they received
• AI anxiety nearly doubled among students (78%, up from 45%) and surged across all age groups in just one year
• 75% of Americans are more stressed about the country’s future than before, with political division tied to isolation, physical symptoms, and daily struggles

Most young Americans have considered leaving the country. Data from the American Psychological Association shows that 63% of adults ages 18 to 34 have considered relocating abroad this year because of the state of the nation. Among parents, more than half (53%) have had the same thought.

These aren’t knee-jerk reactions to a single news cycle or election outcome. The numbers come from the APA’s Stress in America 2025 survey, fielded Aug. 4–24, 2025, among more than 3,000 adults across the country, nearly a year after the 2024 election. While personal stress levels hover around 5 on a 1–10 scale on average, collective anxiety about the nation’s direction has reached a troubling high. Seventy-five percent of adults now say they’re more stressed about the country’s future than they used to be.

Political tensions show no signs of letting up. Seventy-six percent of adults call the future of the nation a significant source of stress, a number that has held steady since before the 2024 election, when it stood at 77%. The persistence of this anxiety, regardless of which party controls the White House or Congress, suggests Americans are grappling with something deeper than partisan politics.

Freedom, Corruption, and Fear: How Americans Describe Their Country

When asked to choose words that best represent America today, survey respondents revealed a country wrestling with its own identity. “Freedom” topped the list at 41%, but “corruption” came in close behind at 38%. “Opportunity” hit 37%, while “division” landed at 36%. Hope and fear nearly tied at 35% and 32%.

Beyond abstract concerns, societal division is hitting home in personal ways. Sixty-two percent of Americans call it a significant stressor in their lives, and that stress is associated with deeper feelings of isolation. Among adults who cited division as a major source of stress, 61% reported feeling isolated from others. Compare that to just 43% among those not stressed by division. Similar gaps showed up for feeling left out (57% versus 39%) and lacking companionship (54% versus 44%).

A Growing Crisis of Connection

Feelings of isolation aren’t limited to those stressed by political division. Across the board, roughly half of all American adults report signs of loneliness. Fifty-four percent said they’ve felt isolated from others, 50% have felt left out, and 50% said they lack companionship, at least some of the time.

The survey paints a picture of a weary nation struggling with its identity.. (© lmsuniyah – stock.adobe.com)

Perhaps more troubling, 69% of adults said they needed more emotional support over the past year than they actually received. That number is up from 65% in 2024, pointing to a widening gap between what people need and what they’re getting. Among those stressed by societal division, the unmet need for support climbs even higher, to 75%.

Adults experiencing high levels of loneliness were more likely to report living with chronic health conditions. Eighty percent of this group said they have a chronic illness, compared to 66% of those with moderate loneliness and 68% with low loneliness. Depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain were particularly common among those with high loneliness.

When Political Stress Shows Up in the Body

Anxiety about national division doesn’t stay abstract for long. Among people who report significant stress over societal division, 83% experienced at least one physical symptom of stress in the past month. For those not stressed by division, that number drops to 66%. The most common complaints included feeling nervous or anxious, fatigue, and headaches.

Stress over division also showed up in daily behavior. Adults in this group were more likely to have lost patience or yelled at family members (60% versus 49%), canceled social plans (55% versus 37%), and found it hard to plan ahead (53% versus 37%).

Americans seem caught between competing views of progress. While 66% say they have more opportunities than previous generations, 64% believe their generation has made sacrifices others didn’t have to make.

Technology Anxiety Spikes, Especially Around AI

As Americans grapple with political and social stress, technology is adding a new layer of concern. Anxiety about artificial intelligence has surged dramatically in just one year. Fifty-seven percent of adults now cite the rise of AI as a significant source of stress, up from 49% in 2024.

Students have been hit particularly hard by AI-related worry. Seventy-eight percent reported stress about AI, nearly double the 45% from last year. Young adults ages 18 to 34 saw their anxiety jump from 52% to 65%. Parents are concerned too, with stress levels rising across age groups: 70% of parents with children ages 5 to 7 (up from 49%), 65% with kids ages 8 to 12 (up from 53%), and 62% with teenagers ages 13 to 17 (up from 53%).

The spread of inaccurate or misleading information is another growing concern. Sixty-nine percent of adults called misinformation a significant stressor, up from 62% the previous year.

Other major sources of stress remain steady. Seventy-five percent cited the economy, 66% pointed to money concerns, and 65% mentioned U.S. politics, housing costs, and mass shootings.

Where Americans Still Find Meaning

Despite widespread worry about national politics, most people maintain a sense of control over their personal lives. Seventy-seven percent say they have a great deal or at least some control over their own futures. Seventy-four percent believe their personal dreams and goals are still within reach. An even larger majority, 84%, say they can create a good life for themselves, even if it looks different from what previous generations experienced.

Political and societal stress can spill over into symptoms including fatigue, anxiety, and headaches. (Credit: gpointstudio on Shutterstock)

But obstacles are real. Eighty-five percent of adults cited barriers standing in the way of their dreams and goals, and 26% aren’t sure they’ll achieve what they hope for or don’t think it’s possible at all. For those who feel their dreams slipping away, the emotional toll is steep. Eighty-nine percent said their mental health was a significant source of stress.

When asked what makes life feel meaningful, relationships dominated. Ninety-two percent of adults pointed to connections with others as a source of purpose. Family topped the specific categories at 77%, followed by friendships at 62%, romantic relationships at 47%, and pets at 39%. Health and well-being came in at 59%.

Work tells a different story. While 69% of employed adults call their jobs a significant source of stress, marking the highest level since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, only 46% say work gives their life meaning. That gap between stress and fulfillment raises questions about how Americans balance productivity with purpose in an era where hustle culture remains dominant.

Looking ahead, financial stability topped the list of personal goals at 64%, followed by maintaining or improving health at 60%. Spending time with family and friends came in at 53%.

Despite anxiety about the nation’s trajectory, 65% of adults say they feel personally responsible for helping shape the country’s future. Parents feel this responsibility even more acutely, with 72% saying they have a duty to contribute to national direction, compared to 61% of non-parents. Seventy-three percent of all adults believe they can help steer the country toward something better.

The survey captures Americans navigating multiple crises at once: political division, social isolation, technological disruption, and economic uncertainty. Half of adults report feeling lonely or left out. More than two-thirds say they need more emotional support than they’re getting. Young people are stressed about AI at nearly double last year’s rate. And three-quarters are more worried about the country’s future than before, with many young adults and parents seriously weighing whether to leave.

Yet resilience persists. Most people still believe they can build meaningful lives, maintain control over their futures, and contribute to positive change. Whether that optimism can hold in the face of compounding pressures remains one of the most important questions facing American society.

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Methodology

Survey Design and Sample

The 2025 Stress in America survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association between August 4 and 24, 2025. The survey included 3,199 adults ages 18 and older living in the United States. The sample was designed to be nationally representative and included oversamples of specific racial and ethnic groups to allow for subgroup analysis: 800 Black adults, 809 Latino/a/e or Latinx adults, and 800 Asian adults. For Latino respondents, interviews were conducted in English or Spanish based on preference.

Weighting and Adjustments

Data were weighted to reflect population proportions based on the March 2024 Current Population Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as data from PEW research studies on internet use, political affiliation, and language use. Weighting variables included age by gender, race and ethnicity, education, region, household income, frequency of internet use, and political party affiliation. Latino/a/e or Latinx adults were additionally weighted for acculturation, taking into account household language and ability to read and speak English and Spanish. Country of origin (U.S. or non-U.S.) was also included for Latino/a/e or Latinx and Asian subgroups.

Sampling Precision

Respondents were selected from among individuals who have agreed to participate in Harris surveys. The sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For the full national sample, data is accurate to within plus or minus 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For racial and ethnic subsamples, the credible intervals are wider: plus or minus 4.9 percentage points for the Black sample, plus or minus 5.2 percentage points for the Latino/a/e or Latinx sample, and plus or minus 5.1 percentage points for the Asian sample.

Limitations

As with all surveys, this study is subject to multiple sources of error that cannot be fully quantified, including coverage error, nonresponse error, question wording and response option effects, and post-survey weighting adjustments. The survey also used the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness levels, assigning numerical values to responses about feeling isolated, left out, or lacking companionship, then grouping respondents into high, moderate, or low loneliness categories.

Publication Details

American Psychological Association. (2025). “Stress in America 2025: A Crisis of Connection.”

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