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Posted on Sep 19, 2002, 5 p.m.
By Bill Freeman
Supporting results of previous studies, US researchers have found that people who tend to look on the dark side of life tend to have worse long-term health than more optimistic people. Dr Toshihiko Maruta and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic based their study on personality evaluations gathered from 447 people who visited the Mayo Clinic between 1962 and 1965, 30-years later, the scientists re-contacted the patients and questioned them about their general state of health.
Supporting results of previous studies, US researchers have found that people who tend to look on the dark side of life tend to have worse long-term health than more optimistic people. Dr Toshihiko Maruta and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic based their study on personality evaluations gathered from 447 people who visited the Mayo Clinic between 1962 and 1965, 30-years later, the scientists re-contacted the patients and questioned them about their general state of health. Results showed that those classed as pessimistic back in the 60's scored worse in all tested areas of health than optimists and those who exhibited a mixture of pessimistic and optimistic attitudes. The test included questions about physical functioning, limitation, mental health, pain, and vitality.
The study is the second by Lin concerning outlook and health, the first study by the team found evidence to suggest that pessimists have a shorter lifespan than that of their more cheerful counterparts. Lin suggests that doctors should consider telling their patients to try to adopt a more positive outlook on life if they want to live a long, healthy life. "It doesn't need to be an illness to have the benefit of an non-pessimistic attitude," he said.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2002; 77:748-753
