TY - JOUR
T1 - Affect in Anticipation of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election in a Sample of Latinx Adults Living on the U.S.–Mexico Border
T2 - A Daily Diary Study
AU - Volpert-Esmond, Hannah I.
AU - Armenta, Angel D.
AU - Huerta, Angel A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Psychological Association
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Donald Trump’s election campaign in 2016 and subsequent presidential administration involved significant anti-Latinx rhetoric and coincided with an increase in hate crimes against people from racial/ethnic minority groups. The present study investigated Latinx Americans’ psychological health surrounding the 2020 U.S. election and Trump’s possible re-election, specifically focusing on anticipatory stress leading up to the election. One hundred ten Latinx participants (71% Mexican-American, 74% women, M = 23.6 years old) were included in the study, which occurred entirely online. We used a daily diary approach tomeasure participants’ affect, anxiety, and depression during a 14-day period, starting 1 week before the election. Piecewise growth models were used to examine trajectories during three separate periods of time: before Election Day, after Election Day before the winner was announced, and after the winner was announced. Depression, anxiety, and negative affect increased in anticipation of Election Day among those who did not vote or intend to vote for Trump. Following Election Day but before Biden was announced the winner, negative outcomes decreased while positive affect increased. Then, following the announcement of Biden as a winner, positive affect returned to baseline and negative outcomes remained stable. Exploratory analyses identified additional trait measures that moderated anticipatory stress, including nativity and ethnic identity. The 2020 U.S. presidential election was a stressful period of time for Latinx Americans. Increases in negative psychological outcomes were evident in anticipation of the election, suggesting macrolevel events can impact individuals’ health and well-being.
AB - Donald Trump’s election campaign in 2016 and subsequent presidential administration involved significant anti-Latinx rhetoric and coincided with an increase in hate crimes against people from racial/ethnic minority groups. The present study investigated Latinx Americans’ psychological health surrounding the 2020 U.S. election and Trump’s possible re-election, specifically focusing on anticipatory stress leading up to the election. One hundred ten Latinx participants (71% Mexican-American, 74% women, M = 23.6 years old) were included in the study, which occurred entirely online. We used a daily diary approach tomeasure participants’ affect, anxiety, and depression during a 14-day period, starting 1 week before the election. Piecewise growth models were used to examine trajectories during three separate periods of time: before Election Day, after Election Day before the winner was announced, and after the winner was announced. Depression, anxiety, and negative affect increased in anticipation of Election Day among those who did not vote or intend to vote for Trump. Following Election Day but before Biden was announced the winner, negative outcomes decreased while positive affect increased. Then, following the announcement of Biden as a winner, positive affect returned to baseline and negative outcomes remained stable. Exploratory analyses identified additional trait measures that moderated anticipatory stress, including nativity and ethnic identity. The 2020 U.S. presidential election was a stressful period of time for Latinx Americans. Increases in negative psychological outcomes were evident in anticipation of the election, suggesting macrolevel events can impact individuals’ health and well-being.
KW - elections
KW - Latinx
KW - mental health
KW - Mexican-American
KW - piecewise growth models
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206351868&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85206351868&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/lat0000238
DO - 10.1037/lat0000238
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85206351868
SN - 2578-8086
VL - 12
SP - 34
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Latinx Psychology
JF - Journal of Latinx Psychology
IS - 1
ER -