The morning after November 5th, UVA’s grounds were eerily quiet. Not exactly due to groggy Hoos having to wake up for their 8 a.m. classes or staying up the night before watching election updates. Throughout the entire day, many students shared glances of disappointment, shuffled to class with eyes glued to their feet, or emailed their professors for extensions due to “mental health” reasons.
Some individual reports mentioned heavier emotions; in one example, students cried during a psychology discussion while the professor consoled them. The Batten School also organized an open space for students to cope.
The gloominess shared on grounds and other college campuses across America was part of a post-Trump-win phenomenon called “election grief.” Left-leaning social circles are coping with despair, with their main concern being how their lives will change in the next four years.
Grief is a response usually associated with the loss of loved ones, relationships, or major life changes. Yet, with this year’s election, half of America is grieving differently. Citizens already experienced life during Donald Trump’s term, and now they are scared of the “what-ifs” in his second term. Some projected policy proposals—the mass deportation of immigrants, reversing Biden’s climate change agenda, cutting federal funds for schools that teach about race and gender—worry many on the left. The main demographics that feel targeted are members of the LGBT community, immigrants, racial minorities, and women who support reproductive rights, all of whom perceived a reversal in the progress toward equality in Trump’s first term.
Mental health services and support groups are experiencing increased activity after the election results. Technology platform Mobilize hosted a “Post-Election Mass Call” on November 7th. The company sent out mass texts to citizens the day after the election saying, “Tonight, come together with loved ones to grieve. Tomorrow, join thousands of others on a call.” The Trevor Project, which provides 24/7 crisis support for LGBT youth, reported a 200% increase in election-related crisis calls from November 3rd and 4th, compared to the last week of October.
For UVA, the Student Health and Wellness Center published a page for support for students, stating the center “recognized the impact of political unrest, conflict, and trauma on individuals and our community.” Individual Support Sessions were hosted for two days following presidential results, and a workshop on managing political-related stress will be held in the Student Health and Wellness Multipurpose Room on November 22nd.
Election grief has also divided families with differing political views. With the holidays coming up, young people are contemplating whether to visit their parents. Many posts on Reddit share situations of uninviting or completely cutting off Trump-supporter family members regarding Thanksgiving and winter break gatherings. Some users say their actions are a statement disagreeing with families’ political views, or bottled-up tension over politics that finally got released from election results.
The nation grapples with a profound sense of emotional polarization heading into Trump’s second term—much stronger than it did heading into his first. As communities navigate reflection and healing, it becomes evident that the path forward requires dialogue and a renewed commitment to unity.
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