If you cry at the movies you are more likely to die young

If you cry during movies, interpret everyday situations as threatening, or fear rejection, you may be at greater risk for premature death.

These behaviors are found among those with neuroticism, and a new study found that the personality trait increases the chances of premature death by 10 percent.

neuroticism It is associated with negative emotions such as fear, sadness and irritability, but is made up of several components such as loneliness, anxiety and irritability that wreak havoc on the mind and body.

Scientists identified loneliness as the strongest predictor of premature death, because this feeling can lead to intentional self-harm and diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems, the researchers said.

Other aspects of neuroticism, such as mood swings and feeling fed up, were also associated with an increased risk of mortality.

Overall, the team found that the link was stronger in men, and especially significant among people under 54 and those without a college degree.

A team of researchers led by Florida State University analyzed data from the UK Biobank, a massive database containing biological samples and genetic, lifestyle and health information from half a million people.

Nearly 500,000 people whose information was stored in the Biobank completed a neuroticism assessment between 2006 and 2010.

Since then, for 17 years, scientists have kept track of whether these individuals lived or died.

The research team used this “status important” data along with participants' neuroticism scores to investigate whether the personality trait (and certain components of it) were more strongly related to premature death than others.

During that 17-year period, 43,400 of the approximately 500,000 participants died, about 8.8 percent of the entire sample size.

The data showed that the average age of death was 70 years, with the main cause being cancer, followed by diseases of the nervous, respiratory and digestive systems.

Those who died from respiratory or digestive problems largely reported feeling “fed up” during the assessment.

A small 0.7 percent, about 291 people, were reported as intentional self-harm.

These people said they experienced guilt and mood swings, and that they felt constantly stressed throughout their lives.

However, all of the people who scored higher on neuroticism reported feeling lonely.

The link between loneliness and premature death could also be explained by an increased feeling of isolation as a person gets closer to death.

However, this is contradicted by the fact that the link was comparable when deaths within the first five to 10 years of follow-up were excluded, the researchers say.

“It was surprising that loneliness had a much stronger impact than other components of neuroticism,” said Antonio Terracciano, lead author and professor of geriatrics at Florida State University. PsyPost.

“The results indicate that those who reported feeling lonely had a much higher risk of death than those who felt anxious or guilty,” he added.

Terracciano and his colleagues published their findings in the Journal of Affective Disorders in September.

The study provides new insights into how loneliness affects health and longevity, as experts warn that the United States faces a loneliness epidemic.

A 2023 report from the Surgeon Normal found that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of American adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.

It warned that the physical consequences of social isolation can be devastating, including a 29 percent increase in the risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increase in the risk of stroke and a 50 percent increase in the risk of developing dementia in older adults.

In fact, loneliness can increase the risk of premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the report states.

Additionally, previous research has found that neuroticism is a strong predictor of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as other conditions such as stroke, irritable bowel disease (IBD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). .

This latest study aimed to build on previous studies and provides new evidence supporting the fact that neuroticism and loneliness take a significant toll on human health.