This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Most people, at some point, wonder what will remain of them after they are gone. Will their family remember them?
Will something they created, taught or contributed continue to matter? A new study suggests that this deeply human desire may be connected to mental health. Researchers found that people who more strongly believed they would be remembered after death also tended to report better mental health and lower levels of problematic substance use and addictive behaviors.
Uri Lifshin and professor Mario Mikulincer from the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health and the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, examined what psychologists call "symbolic immortality," the sense that some part of us will continue through our relationships, accomplishments, identity or legacy. Published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, the research included 2,912 Israeli adults. Those with a stronger sense of symbolic immortality tended to report greater self-esteem, stronger social support, more meaning in life and more secure relationships.
They also reported fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, fewer sleep problems and fewer difficulties regulating their emotions. The pattern extended to addictive behaviors. A stronger belief that one would be remembered was associated with lower levels of problematic alcohol, cannabis and prescription drug use, as well as lower levels of problematic gambling, gaming, pornography use, compulsive sexual behavior, social media use and internet use.
While these correlations were generally modest to small, they were consistent across a broad range of mental health and addiction-related outcomes. "The feeling that our lives matter and will continue to matter to other people may be an important part of how we cope with uncertainty and the knowledge of our own mortality," said the researchers. "Our findings suggest that feeling connected to others, having meaning in life and believing that something of us will remain may go hand in hand with better mental health and fewer problematic addictive behaviors." At its core, the idea is simple: People may fare better when they feel that their lives have meaning beyond the present moment.
Psychologists have long argued that people cope with the awareness of mortality by building a sense of meaning, belonging and continuity. Relationships, community, personal achievements and identity can all contribute to the feeling that one's life extends beyond the individual. The study was conducted during an especially difficult period.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
