Maintaining a calm and philosophical outlook during tough times can significantly reduce the risk of dying within the next decade, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Sun Yat-sen at Shenzhen, China, have found that individuals who exhibit high levels of resilience are less likely to die prematurely.

“Psychological resilience is the capacity for individuals to effectively cope with and adapt to challenging life circumstances and events,” the researchers wrote in the journal BMJ Mental Health. “Exposure to adversity, such as poverty or significant life events like job loss or bereavement, often leads to disruptions in psychological functioning.”

“However, individuals differ in their ability to overcome and adapt to adversity, with some exhibiting resilience while others struggle,” they wrote. “This study is unique in establishing a statistically significant association between psychological resilience and all-cause mortality in the general population, even after accounting for confounding factors.”

Previously, resilience has been linked to disease prevention, management of chronic illnesses, and recovery from trauma. Its impact on overall mortality rates was uncertain until now.

To investigate, researchers examined the health records of more than 10,000 Americans participating in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. All participants were over the age of 50 and had completed a mental health questionnaire, which measured traits such as perseverance, calmness, sense of purpose, self-reliance, and the acceptance that some experiences must be faced alone.

Over the following decade, 3,489 participants died The researchers discovered an “almost linear” relationship between mental resilience and mortality risk. Specifically, 61 percent of those in the lowest quarter for resilience survived, compared to 84 percent in the highest quarter.

The analysis showed that individuals in the top quartile for resilience were 53 percent less likely to die within the next 10 years than those in the bottom quartile. The association persisted even after adjusting for marital status, sex, race, and body mass index, which are known to affect lifespan. However, the protective effect of resilience decreased to 46 percent and 38 percent when lifestyle factors were also considered.