Pressure to feel upbeat ‘can damage mental health over time’

Societal pressure to feel upbeat can actually be damaging to mental health in the longer term, according to new research.

The study, led by the University of California – Berkeley, assessed the link between emotional acceptance and psychological health in more than 1,300 adults, finding that people who are unable to acknowledge their negative thoughts feel more stressed over time.

It was found that people who actively processed darker feelings as sadness, disappointment and resentment reported fewer mood disorder symptoms than those who critiqued or rejected these emotions after six months.

Lead author Brett Ford, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, said: "People who accept these emotions without judging or trying to change them are able to cope with their stress more successfully."

The researchers aim to further explore this subject by assessing factors such as culture and upbringing to better understand why some people are more accepting of their own emotions than others.

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