World of Psychology

Lower Your Risk of Death by 14 Percent Right Now

By John M. Grohol, PsyD
Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Could you lower your risk of death due to a disease or cancer right now? Could it really be as simple as changing one’s attitude and perspective on life?

According to new research presented at the American Psychosomatic Society’s annual meeting last week, you may be able to do just that.

In a study of 97,000 women, the researchers found that after 8 years, women who had a more optimistic attitude at the start of the study had a 14 percent lower risk of dying from any cause than their pessimistic counterparts. Since men were not studied, one cannot say whether these results also apply to men.

People who are optimistic tend to expect good things will happen to them, while those who were pessimistic tended to mistrust others.

While the study could not say that optimism directly causes a longer, healthier life, there was a significant correlation between the two. (Perhaps those who live a healthier lifestyle are naturally more relaxed and optimistic as a result of their lifestyle.)

But the association shows the importance of attitude and your mental health once again. So if you want a longer life, adopt a healthier, more optimistic attitude today.

Read the full article: Trust me — the glass is half full


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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 9 Mar 2009
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2009). Lower Your Risk of Death by 14 Percent Right Now. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/03/09/lower-your-risk-of-death-by-14-percent-right-now/

 

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