Happy News! Americans’ Emotions During COVID-19 Crisis is Improving

I’ll take good news wherever I can get it, and Gallup provides plenty with their recent poll:

As many states have begun to reopen their economies and many more are making plans to do so, Americans are reporting improvements in their emotional health. Although the coronavirus crisis persists, less than half of U.S. adults (47%) now say they worried a lot of the previous day — down from 59% in late March/early April, when Gallup recorded an unprecedented increase in self-reported worry.

In addition to the 12-percentage-point drop in worry, boredom has dipped five points, to 41%, and happiness has edged up five points, to 72%. Loneliness has held steady, with about a quarter of Americans continuing to say they experienced it “during a lot of the day yesterday.”

Wonderful!  It makes sense that people’s anxiety would skyrocket during the Wuhan Flu epidemic, but Americans are still finding a way toward joy.  Here’s more of Gallup’s demographic breakdown of the encouraging results.

• U.S. adults with household incomes under $36,000 per year are more likely than those in higher-income groups to experience daily worry, boredom and loneliness — and are much less likely to say they experienced happiness during a lot of the previous day.
• Democrats report less happiness and more worry and loneliness than do Republicans.
• Women are more likely than men to report worry and loneliness.
• Married and widowed Americans are happier, worry less and are less lonely than those who are single or divorced.

That last part makes sense to me, as a happily married guy. 

This is a helpful reminder to all of us who are blessed enough to have families during this time of uncertainty: reach out to loved ones and check on your friends.

Americans, we’re all in this together! 

Hat Tip: Gallup

Image Credit: Flickr