As a psychiatrist, I’ve never talked so much about politics with my patients as I have in the past two years.
It was surprising, though, when the conversations started to shift from more abstract concepts to concrete questions about my personal views on politically charged topics. Patients began to ask about my views on COVID-19 controversies, Donald Trump’s mental health, freedom of speech, the Black Lives Matter movement and neutral pronouns.
Political topics seem to be everywhere, and do not refrain from knocking on therapists’ office doors. From 24-hour news to social media hashtags, we are all surrounded by never-ending campaigns, discussions and sometimes fights over politics. We may even be involved in some of them.
Political stress
Everyone should take part in the decisions that affect their community. However, a significant number of people are letting stress over politics get so far under their skin that it’s making them sick.
In one study conducted in 2019, almost 40 per cent of Americans said that politics was a source of significant anxiety, insomnia and even suicidal thoughts. The negative impact was more prominent in those who were young, politically engaged or opposed to the government.
The constant exposure to political stress has been associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression and poor lifestyle choices, as well as deterioration in general medical health.
Part of the impact of the political climate on mental health is polarization, with a relevant proportion of the population clustered around the extremes of the liberal/conservative spectrum. In addition, voices from the extremes seem to be amplified by social media algorithms.
The arrival of COVID-19 found an already divided society. Ideologies and partisan politics ended up shaping perceptions about the pandemic and, consequently, the adherence to preventive measures such as masks, lockdowns and vaccines.
For example, one study conducted in United States in 2020 found that conservatives were more likely to state that the COVID-19 pandemic was receiving too much media coverage and that people were overreacting to the virus. On the other hand, liberals tended to report that government was not doing enough to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Politics in therapy
Between polarized politics and disagreements about COVID-19 response, it was only a matter of time before political stress arrived in the offices of psychotherapists, psychiatrists and mental health workers. Since 2019, the political climate has had an unexpected and overwhelming effect on psychotherapy patients. These discussions have occupied the centre of multiple sessions in a way that, for some therapists, has not been seen since 9/11.
It has become more common for people to want to know the political views of their health-care providers, especially those involved in mental health care. A recent American study involving a sample of 604 Democrat and Republican patients found that two-thirds of them reported talking about politics with their therapists, and that a better therapeutic alliance was obtained when they thought the therapist shared their political orientation.
Another study showed that 87 per cent of therapists discussed politics with their patients in sessions and that 63 per cent of them reported disclosing their own views to some degree, which happened more frequently when they perceived their patients as sharing their views.
Health impact of polarized politics
We are currently experiencing a severe health crisis and political division. These not only directly affect mental health, but can lead to extremism.
Because of this, the impact of political stress on mental health deserves to be probed more deeply, especially using systematic approaches. For example, we don’t know yet if political stress causes a health impact similar to the one observed in other situations of chronic stress.
Finally, mental health professionals are not immune to the animosity generated around politics. Patients with very different views from their own could potentially present challenges to care. This highlights the need for training in recognition and management of political stress in clinical practice, and the development of evidence-based strategies to deal with it.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
