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USF Study Undercuts Notion That Crying Is Beneficial

The Associated Press

Although a majority of the survey participants reported improvements in their mood after a crying spell, one-third reported no improvement in mood and 1 in 10 felt worse.

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By RUSSELL RAY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 27, 2008

TAMPA - Grab a Kleenex.

The widely held belief that a good cry is good for you has been harpooned by researchers at the University of South Florida.

After analyzing the accounts of more than 3,000 crying episodes, psychologists Jonathan Rottenberg and Lauren Bylsma found that crying isn't always beneficial.

Although a majority of the survey participants reported improvements in their mood after a crying spell, one-third reported no improvement in mood and 1 in 10 felt worse.

The effects of crying often are dictated by the circumstances, the study found. For example, those who are comforted by others after a crying spell are more apt to feel good afterward.

The study also found that people with depression or anxiety are least likely to feel better after a crying session.

"It may be that they have more difficulty in recruiting others to come to their side," Rottenberg told the BBC in an interview Dec.16. "They may be crying all by themselves."

Also, the researchers found that people who lack insight into their emotional lives typically feel worse after crying. The study suggests that these people lack the mental ability to turn a sad experience into something positive.

Rottenberg said the benefits of crying probably have been exaggerated.

"If you look at popular articles about crying, almost all of them promote crying and warn the reader that if you suppress tears, this is going to be harmful to the body or the mind," Rottenberg said.

Most scientific studies, however, indicate crying doesn't benefit people emotionally or physically, Rottenberg said. He attributed the mixed results to the methods used to study the effects of the behavior.

"On surveys, people report, 'Crying brings me benefits,' " he said. "However, when you elicit crying in a laboratory, people who cry rarely report that their tears are providing them much in the way of mood benefits."

Reporter Russell Ray can be reached at (813) 259-7870 or rray@tampatrib.com.

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