War scars the body. Its imprint on the mind, however, is as lacerating and ought not to be dismissed. Reports show that the raging conflicts and the resultant uncertainties being wreaked upon the world by global leaders — the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is one example — are sending more and more people to the therapist’s office. Two-thirds of respondents in a 2024 LifeStance Health survey said they prefer to talk about politics or elections with their therapists. Therapists, too, are noticing an influx of clients seeking support for political stress and depression. The relatively underexplored connection between politics and the mind and the body is thus receiving increased attention from researchers. A survey tracking the health impacts of politics found that political stress is linked to such serious consequences as fatigue, sleep loss, anger, compulsive behaviours and even suicidal thinking. What is worse, cerebral citizens — often young, Left-leaning, and politically engaged people — are being hit the hardest.

This strain — the result of depression — can have implications that are undesirable for progressive political systems. Political depression drains energy, reduces participation, and reshapes those who enter politics. Research from the University of California shows that disappointment and sadness push citizens away from political engagement and weaken trust in institutions. There is as much as a 23%-38% of ‘depression voting gap’ between people who are politically depressed and those who are not — the latter were found to usually be Right-leaning. When citizens believe governments are unresponsive, voting loses its meaning. Young voters increasingly express scepticism about their ability to influence political outcomes and, as such, joining political organisations feels exhausting. This dark mood gradually reshapes who enters politics. The field begins to attract the ambitious and the professionally opportunistic who prioritise personal gain over the greater good. Tragically, others motivated by civic duty or reform lose enthusiasm for political engagement. Governance then becomes dominated by professionals who treat politics as a process of deals, alliances, and incremental advantages. Policy debates resemble negotiations between organised interests rather than discussions about shared goals. Ironically, this starts a vicious cycle of citizens perceiving politics as transactional and detached from ordinary concerns, adding to the political depression. All this alters democracy in a decisive way.

Could there be light at the end of the tunnel? A recent survey conducted in New York suggests that the antidote to this downward spiral could be optimism. It studied Zohran Mamdani’s cheerful mayoral campaign — full of Bollywood music and positivity — to demonstrate that enthusiasm can counter political tiredness. Humour, accessibility, and collective purpose can spur enthusiasm for politics and increase voter turnouts and participation in political and civic duties. The lesson is not complicated. Citizens respond to politics that promises meaningful transformation. Political depression thrives on gloomy inevitability while cheerful mobilisation challenges that inevitability by making participation appear worthwhile. There is, thus a choice, one that must be made wisely.