Do Optimists Live Longer?

St. Croix Times Staff

Increasing evidence suggests that being an optimist or a pessimist affects your health. A Dutch study found that older adults with an optimistic disposition lived longer than pessimists.

After accounting for factors such as age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and socioeconomic and marital status, those in the study who scored high on the optimism scale had a 29% lower risk of early death than did individuals who scored lower on the scale.

In this study, highly optimistic participants were 77% less likely to die of a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular event than were highly pessimistic participants. These results held true regardless of whether the participants had a history of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure.

A Mayo Clinic study found similar results. Researchers examined the relationship between how adults explained the causes of life’s events and their mortality rate over a 30-year period. They found that individuals who were more pessimistic died younger than did those who were more optimistic.

Optimists tended to believe factors associated with bad events were temporary, not their fault and limited to the present circumstances. Pessimists, on the other hand, were more likely to blame things on themselves, feel that their current situation was going to last forever and feel that a bad event would undermine everything.

Using the same group of people, Mayo researchers examined the association between outlook on life events and self-reported health status 30 years later. Optimists generally reported fewer health limitations and problems with work or other daily routines, less pain, more energy and greater ease with social activities. They were also more peaceful, happier and calmer most of the time.