People who have never had to cope with stressful events may find it hard to handle minor upheavals and stresses. Photo / iStock
It may be of some comfort to those going through a major stressful event, such as a death in the family, that research confirms that they should emerge stronger from it and better able to cope with the trials of everyday life.
In fact, those who have never had to
cope with such events find it hard to handle even minor upheavals and stresses.
The study by researchers at the North Carolina State University in the US was based on interviews of 43 adults aged between 60 and 96 over an eight-day period to see how their mood changed.
"Our study tells us that there's no expiration date on the impact of life-changing, stressful events," said co-author Shevaun Neupert, an associate professor of psychology.
"And the study tells us that many people actually weather these major stress events and emerge more resilient and less easily influenced by daily stresses." The "major" stress events that have such a long-lasting impact can be both good or bad. Common examples include getting married, retiring and the death of a family member.
