Psychological scientists at the University of California have found a strong link between daily-life stresses to long-term mental health.
The main questions they were trying to investigate was whether or not emotional experiences accumulate to cause overall detrimental effects, or if they make us stronger and prepare us for future distress.
Using surveys, the researchers examined the relationship between daily negative emotions and mental health outcomes ten years later.
They found that negative emotions predicted psychological distress, with symptoms such as feeling worthless, hopeless, nervous and/or restless, and diagnosis of an emotional disorder, including anxiety or depression.
This paper’s strength lies in its large sample of participants with diverse backgrounds and ages, consisting of 711 subjects, both men and women, ranged 25 – 74.
According to the researchers, these results indicate that mental health outcomes are not solely affected by major life events, but also depend on minor emotional experiences such as daily stress.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130402150159.htm
