Italian researchers have found unusual mental similarities in Italy's oldest residents living in the "hotbed of longevity" in the south of the country, whose study may help uncover the secrets of their longevity, according to an article published in the journal International Psychogeriatrics.
“There are a lot of studies out there on long-lived people, but virtually all of them are about their genetics, not mental health and personality. We have shown that this group of centenarians has unique psychic traits in common, such as perseverance, a positive outlook on life and strong bonds with family, land and faith,”said Dilip Jeste of the University of California, San Diego, USA.).
Geste and a number of other gerontologists and biologists led by Salvatore di Somma from the University of La Sapienza in Rome (Italy) have been studying the so-called "hotbed of longevity" for several years in a place called Cilento, where the extremely elderly and this is healthy people.
The average life expectancy in Cilento for women is a record 92 years and 85 for men, almost 10 years longer than the Italian average. There are several other similar regions on Earth, including Okinawa, the islands of Sardinia and Ikaria, and each of them constantly attracts the attention of scientists who want to uncover the secrets of long life and health in old age.
Di Somma's scientific team, thanks to his personal connections in the region, was able to enlist the support of three dozen extremely elderly Cilento residents aged 90+ living in the village of Acciaroli, and about six dozen of their younger relatives. Two years ago, they helped scientists uncover some genes and proteins for longevity, and now gerontologists are interested in how the peculiarities of their psyche can be associated with a long life.
For this, scientists conducted a series of surveys among the elderly themselves and their young relatives, assessing the level of their mental and physical health. These polls revealed several interesting details that are characteristic of the record holders themselves, but not for their grandchildren, children and great-grandchildren.
For example, all elderly people, despite their rather poor health, suffered significantly less from depression, anxiety and other mental problems than their younger relatives, and also had a high level of optimism and “workaholism”. In addition, they were unusually strongly attached to the land and the family in whose territory and in whose company they lived.
“It is possible that the love for the land, a common trait of all these elderly people, is the secret of their longevity. Most of them continue to work at home and in their fields. They may think, “this is my life, my land, and I will not give it up just like that,” concludes Anna Scelzo, Di Somma's colleague.
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