Decades of research literature establishes that political liberals have poorer mental health and are less happy than political conservatives. Scholars are unclear why, as Columbia University’s magazine reported in 2023, “American adults who identify as politically liberal have long reported lower levels of happiness and psychological well-being than conservatives.”
But scholars working from the Universities of Florida and Toronto contend, based on four different studies, this disparity could be because conservatives demonstrate a more positive outlook on life and greater personal agency, religiosity, moral clarity and self-worth than their liberal counterparts – all qualities which are associated with greater mental health, happiness and flexibility.
A new study published in the journal Political Behavior supports this conclusion. It shows that mental illness is emerging as its own political identity and is most heavily aligned with leftist political ideology and causes.
Professor Lauren Van De Hey, of Utah State University, who conducted this study explains, “I further find that there is an emerging mental health political identity that is most pronounced among younger (Gen Z) and more liberal Americans.” Careful observers of political discourse and its direction over the last few years have seen this demonstrated a time or two. In fact, Libs of TikTok have built a successful cottage industry on this very fact.
Psypost.org, in their reporting on Van De Hey’s study, explains, “Approximately one-half of study participants with mental illness stated that their identity as a person with a mental health illness is very important or somewhat important to them.” The study’s author also noted, “I find that the political predictors and political consequences for the emerging mental health identity differ from those for physical disability and serious physical illness categorization and identification.”
This means political identity among liberal citizens can be expected to be more closely tied to mental health struggles that are more subjective in nature. This article concludes, “These findings have far-reaching consequences for mental health advocacy, and the role mental health identity will play in the political sphere – especially as Gen Z matures as a cohort.”
We have seen this play out in gender politics, where the subjective nature of gender confusion and dysphoria became a major political issue driving the behaviors, values and messaging of political parties and individuals.
It is likely we will see this spread to other political issues where mental issues are increasingly construed as a protective class.
The study analyzed data from the 2022 Cooperative Election Study (CES), a large nationally representative survey of Americans administered by YouGov, finding that conservatives are less likely to consider anxiety and depression as mental health conditions compared to people who self-identify as liberal. Conservatives also reported seeking mental health treatment at lower levels than liberals. Van De Hey ponders if this fact may have something to do with a “personal responsibility ethos: they do not seek help when they think they can resolve the issues on their own.”
Ideas have big consequences, as Richard Weaver famously put it. Some lead to better health and contentment. Others diminish happiness and magnify feelings of loneliness.
It is becoming increasingly clear which ideas do what! Conservative, and specifically Christian, ideas have a much better track record than their leftist counterparts. This has deep personal and political implications.
What we believe and practice in our lives matters for good and bad.
Related articles and resources:
Liberal Women are Sadder Than Conservatives: Less Faith, Fewer Marriages?
Marriage and Parenting Are Now Partisan Issues, With Liberals Falling Behind
Conservative Women 3 Times Happier Than Liberal Peers for These Reasons
Four Things to Enhance Marital Happiness Among Wives
Research Finds Republican Husbands More Faithful; Religious Even More
New Research: Marriage Still Provides Major Happiness Premium
Marriage and Family Improves Happiness Far More Than a Pay Raise
Married Mothers and Fathers Are Happiest According to Gold-Standard General Social Survey
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