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Nice News -  Published in the journal BMJ Mental Health, the research found that being better able to cope with difficult life circumstances was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes in older adults. The findings were derived by analyzing data from the Health and Retirement Study, a long-term survey of Americans ages 50 and over. 

That study began in 1992, and individuals were monitored every two years thereafter, with information collected on their economic, health, marital, and family statuses. For the newly published paper, researchers drew on data from 2006-2008, when questions regarding mental resilience were first introduced. A total of 10,569 participants were involved in the final analysis, and were tracked until May 2021 or their death, whichever came first. The average age of this subset was 66, and 59% of the subjects were women.  

Resilience scores were determined through a self-assessment of qualities like perseverance, calmness, a sense of purpose, self-reliance, and the recognition that certain experiences must be faced alone. Those who scored higher on the scale had a lower risk of all-cause mortality by as much as 38% compared to those who scored the lowest. 

“Various factors, including but not limited to meaning in life, positive emotions, self-rated health, and satisfaction with social support, have been identified as potential influences on psychological resilience,” the study authors wrote. “Triggering these positive emotions may enhance the protective effects of psychological resilience and mitigate the negative impact of accumulated adversity on mental health in adults.”