Emotional Contagion Can Put Seniors at Risk of Anxiety and Depression

If you’ve ever found yourself smiling just because someone else did or feeling tense while watching an emotional movie scene, then you’ve experienced what scientists call emotional contagion. This natural tendency to be infected by the emotions of those around us is something we all experience to some extent, some more than others.

But did you know that for older adults, being particularly vulnerable to emotional contagion can impact their mental health significantly?

A recent study provides evidence that seniors with higher emotional contagion are more prone to anxiety and depression.

What is Emotional Contagion?

Think of emotional contagion as an invisible force that makes emotions spread from one person to another, much like the flu. It is an unconscious process that happens through mimicking expressions, gestures, and postures. This is why seeing someone smile can make you feel happier, while witnessing sadness or anger can bring down your mood.

How emotional contagion affects seniors

The study found that older adults who are highly sensitive to the emotions around them were about 10 times more likely to experience psychological distress, including anxiety and anxious depression, than those who were less vulnerable.

The researchers included 170 adults aged 55 and over most of whom lived in retirement homes or used community services.

Participants were grouped based on their levels of psychological distress:

• 45% showed signs of anxiety.
• 20% exhibited symptoms of both anxiety and depression.
• The rest displayed minimal to no symptoms.

Researchers assessed these participants using an emotional contagion scale, measuring how much the emotions of others affected them. The findings were clear: the more vulnerable a person was to “catching” other people’s emotions, the higher their likelihood of experiencing psychological distress.

What this means

Psychological distress can be fatal for seniors, as it may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and premature death. So if you notice you or your elderly loved one is susceptible to psychological distress, you want to do your best to prevent it.

One way to do that is by engaging with people and in activities that bring positive emotions rather than negative ones. Avoid the news (as you may see disheartening ones) and people who only talk about their problems. At this time of your life, you want to be surrounded by those who make things brighter and easier. This can help counterbalance any negative emotional input you may accidentally encounter.

While it’s impossible to control or avoid every negative interaction, seniors who consciously manage their sensitivity to emotional contagion can handle stress better and maintain mental well-being.

Need help?

If you or your loved one is battling with any type of anxiety or depression and are unsure what to do, just reach out to us. At Hope Mental Health, we are all about providing safe, effective psychiatric care.

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Author

Satu H. Woodland, PMHCNS-BC, APRN Satu Woodland is owner and clinician of Hope Mental Health, an integrative mental health practice located at Bown Crossing in Boise, Idaho. She sees children, adolescents, and adults.  Ms. Woodland with her background in nursing, prefers a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that addresses the mind and body together. While Ms. Woodland provides medication management services in all her patients, she believes in long-lasting solutions that include a number of psychotherapies, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention therapy, attention to lifestyle, evidenced based alternative psychiatric care and spirituality. If you’d like to gain control over your mental health issues, call Hope Mental Health at 208-918-0958, or use the online scheduling tool to set up an initial consultation.