Shedding emotional tears, an ability only humans are bestowed with, can improve mood over time, new research suggests. “Yes, a good cry indeed might go a long way to <g data-gr-id="40">make</g> you feel better,” said study lead author <g data-gr-id="29">Asmir</g> Gracanin from <g data-gr-id="41">University</g> of Tilburg in the Netherlands.
Very little is known about the function of crying. While some researchers see it as a cry for support, comfort or help, others believe the main role of crying is to relieve emotions. For this study, researchers videotaped a group of 60 participants while watching the emotionally charged films La vita e <g data-gr-id="32">bella</g> and Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. Both the films are known to be tearjerkers. Immediately afterwards, the 28 participants who cried and the 32 who did not shed a tear were asked how they felt. They also had to rate their moods 20 and 90 minutes later. As expected, the mood of the non-criers was unchanged and unaffected immediately after seeing the films.
The mood of the criers, on the other hand, was distinctively low and even took a dip. Finally, after 90 minutes, the <g data-gr-id="28">criers</g> reported even a better mood than was the case before the films started.
“After the initial deterioration of mood following crying, it takes some time for the mood not only to recover but also to be lifted above the levels at which it had been before the emotional event,” Gracanin explained.