Response to daily stress affects long-term mental health: study

Irvine, CA – The way a person handles daily stressors could impact his or her long-term mental health, suggests a new study from the University of California, Irvine.

Using national survey data on 711 people, researchers examined the connection between daily negative emotions and long-term mental health, according to the study abstract. Survey participants with high levels of negative emotions were more likely 10 years later to have psychological distress – including feeling hopeless, nervous or restless – and be diagnosed with an emotional disorder, a UC Irvine press release states.

Researchers said the findings suggest that coping poorly with minor emotional experiences can affect people’s mental health long-term.

The study was published online March 26 in the journal Psychological Science.