Speaking of Psychology
Speaking of Psychology

Managing stress in turbulent times, with Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, and Georges C. Benjamin, MD

May 1, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the 2025 Stress in America survey, 62% of U.S. adults reported societal division as a significant source of stress, and three-quarters said they are more stressed about the country’s future than they used to be. These are not just political problems; they are personal health problems. In this episode, APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr. and APHA CEO Georges C. Benjamin explain how chronic societal stress gets under the skin, who is most vulnerable, and what people can actually do about it when there is no break in sight.

Why societal stress is a whole-body problem

Public health has long understood that roughly 80% of what makes a person healthy happens outside the doctor’s office. Chronic stress activates the body’s stress response: cortisol rises, inflammation increases, sleep gets disrupted. Over time, this drives up rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and immune dysfunction. When stress persists for years, the cumulative wear and tear is called allostatic load. Benjamin points out that the U.S. population has not had real downtime in two decades — a pandemic, multiple economic disruptions, social unrest, and political polarization have followed each other without a pause. “What’s happening right now is on steroids,” he says. The result is prolonged stress activation that is tearing people down physically and mentally.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:02) **Introduction: The Stress Landscape** - Host Kim Mills sets up the episode's focus on societal stress, citing APA's 2025 Stress in America survey data and introducing guests Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD (APA CEO) and Georges C. Benjamin, MD (APHA CEO).
  • 2 (03:14) **How Societal Stress Gets Under the Skin** - Dr. Benjamin explains the physiological pathway from chronic stress to physical disease, introducing the concept of allostatic load.
  • 3 (04:27) **The Mental and Social Toll** - Dr. Evans expands the impact to mental health and social connections, noting increased substance use, anxiety, depression, and strained relationships.
  • 4 (05:10) **Structural Inequities and Disproportionate Stress** - Dr. Evans explains how factors like housing instability, food insecurity, and economic precarity cause some groups to experience stress more intensely than others.
  • 5 (06:59) **No "Crew Rest": The Accumulation of Crises** - Dr. Benjamin argues that the population has had no downtime from a relentless series of stressors over the past 20 years, creating a prolonged stress activation.
  • 6 (08:28) **Practical Skills: The Three Domains of Stress Management** - Dr. Evans outlines a broad-based strategy for managing stress, focusing on how we think, our social connections, and our physical health.
  • 7 (10:59) **Community Engagement and "Meet Time"** - Dr. Benjamin adds practical, low-cost tactics like disconnecting from devices, volunteering, and knowing your health numbers.

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Show Notes

From societal division to economic uncertainty to global conflict, we are living in stressful times. In this special episode of Speaking of Psychology, Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association, and Georges C. Benjamin, MD, CEO of the American Public Health Association, discuss how chronic societal stress can “get under the skin,” harming the mental and physical health of individuals and communities. They also explore the toll on healthcare workers and share research-backed strategies to cope.

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