Elections put people in hospital.
Elections put people's health at risk
A new study in Taiwan suggests that the demand for healthcare services rose by 19 per cent amongst first-time voters during major political campaigns.
There was a considerable increase in chest pain, gastro-intestinal conditions and physical injuries.
Researchers argue that the illnesses came about as a result of the stress of choosing who to vote for and anxiety from being surrounded by political advertisements during the campaign.
The experts say the condition should be named 'election syndrome' or 'election stress disorder'.
They wrote in the journal Health Economics: "Our results suggest that campaigns during national elections increased health care use and expenditure by 17 per cent to 19 per cent.
"Elevated health care use occurred only during the campaign period and did not persist after the election."