There are people who do not give up in difficult times. And those who continue to smile, despite the difficulties they have faced. These people have deservedly earned our admiration and more. According to a new study published in BMJ Mental Health, people with a “steely character” seem to secure a few extra years of life.
Good coping skills, especially in later life, can make a big difference in managing long-term illness and disability. Researchers came to this conclusion by analyzing data from more than 10,500 participants aged 50 and older in an American health study. The study measured resilience through scales that assessed traits such as persistence, calmness, sense of purpose and self-confidence.
The findings were striking: People with higher levels of resilience showed a lower risk of death over the ten-year follow-up period. This correlation, in fact, seemed to be even stronger in women. Specifically, the results showed that seniors with the most mental resilience faced a 53% lower risk of dying within 10 years compared to those who were least resilient. In fact, the correlation was still strong even in the case of people who had chronic health problems (46%) or had an unhealthy lifestyle (38%). To dig deeper, the researchers grouped participants based on levels of resilience. The group with the highest resilience had an 84% chance of surviving the next decade, while the two middle groups had 79% and 72% survival rates, respectively. Participants with the lowest resilience had a 61% chance of survival over the ten-year period.
According to the head of the study, dr. According to Yiqiang Zhan, an associate professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-Sen University in China, resilience appears to act as a protective mechanism, helping individuals cope with life’s challenges. “This study finds a statistically significant association between psychological resilience and total mortality in the elderly population, even after accounting for other factors,” the researchers note.
In light of these results, experts argue that resilience programs could serve as vital tools to improve the quality of life and longevity of older adults. Adaptability, maintaining a positive attitude and a sense of purpose can help people cope with life’s challenges and live longer and healthier lives.
