Swapping Insults, Neglecting Policy: How U.S. Presidential Candidates Communicate About Mental Health

Candidates for high office in the United States play an important role in determining the political agenda and shaping public and mass media understanding of which issues should receive attention. Critics contend politicians rarely address mental health, despite the importance of the federal government in ensuring Americans access to quality care. Two studies sought to understand how candidates for the presidency communicated about mental health using formal (mental, depress, anxiety) and informal (crazy, insane) terminology in social media posts and debates. Two coders examined 1,807 tweets from 41 politicians who competed in the 2016 and 2020 races, plus transcripts from 47 debates during the primaries and General Elections. Politicians often stigmatized mental illness, using mental health-related slang to insult opponents. They afforded less attention to policy and calls for action. The authors offer recommendations for mental health professionals and advocates to encourage politicians to address mental health policy while avoiding stigmatizing language.