Not Fake News: Toxic Consequences of the Trump Stress Effect

Abstract

Soon after the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, Sisti and Baum-Baicker predicted that researchers “have an opportunity to conduct a natural experiment and examine the health effects of toxic stress.” In this article, the stressors related to the Trump presidency are delineated and understood as fertile ground for toxic stress reactions. The physical, behavioral, emotional, and interpersonal effects of this kind of unrelenting stress are detailed. Data presented were gathered from a variety of large-scale sources (e.g., American Psychological Association, Pew Research Center, Gallup) and research journals. Data strongly support the validity of the “Trump stress effect” and are viewed through the lenses of terror management theory, motive attribution asymmetry, and the Freudian and Kleinian unconscious.