top of page

Horror Movies and Mental Health

Feb 244 min read

Updated: Feb 24

By Emilian Dobrescu


54% of Gen Z like watching horror movies according to a survey made among adults in the United States. Actual questions in this regard are: what is the pleasure in seeing horrible creatures or bloodshed for 90 minutes, what causes your heart to race like crazy or does this genre of movies have benefits? Let’s figure it out!


Historical responses

It’s still a mystery what makes people eager to watch scary movies, but it seems to have some evolutionary roots. Our ancestors were always overwhelmed by different fears, because thousands of years ago life was wilder than today. As our innate threat detection system is no longer used to the same extent as previously, we activate it artificially watching horror movies.


Adrenaline and amygdala

The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure in the brain, which has the role to handle emotions. When the amygdala perceives a danger or a stress stimulus it releases stress hormones. One important hormone is called adrenaline which is responsible to get your body ready for the fight-or-flight response. What does it mean to be ready to fight or to flee? Well, when people are in a possibly harmful situation our body adapts its functions automatically for survival purposes: heart starts to beat faster, your muscles tense, you lean forward, your breathing gets faster, and your palms start to sweat. Also, we unconsciously respond to different fear stimuli by either defending ourselves or running away.


Horror movies' effects

Because the film directors make up the movie especially to scare the audience, all the action we see on the screen seems to be real and even if this is just an illusion, the brain’s feedback is the same as for a genuine dangerous circumstance. This leads our body to feel the same effects as mentioned before: high blood pressure, high tension into the muscles and so on.

Our brain makes two types of decisions: conscious and unconscious. The second type was covered above: it's an automatic response. The conscious one takes into account our life experience and it knows whether what we see, hear or perceive is actually a real danger. The good part of the conscious decision is that through it our brain can stop from working the protective algorithm if it’s not needed.


Scary movies' threats

The suspenseful plotlines, sinister music, and chilling visuals create an atmosphere of fear and anticipation, which triggers the adrenaline release. But the effects of watching these types of movies don’t stop here. Many people encounter poor sleep episodes after they watch a scary movie which is really dangerous because a research showcased that sleep loss or poor-quality sleep could lead to depression or, even worse, to suicidal attempts. Sleep is affected because many individuals tend to internalize the images seen which are an essential reason for nightmares.

The violent images during a scary film could be very harmful when it comes to mental health, especially for children. They tend to become aggressive in the real-life after they are exposed to brutal content.


Anxiety and horror movies

Anxiety disorders are health conditions in which you have anxiety that does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and worry. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. Anxious individuals could be negatively affected more severely than other people by horror movies, because they misrepresent the sensations perceived during the scene as being real threats and therefore, they become more anxious or even these horror plots can trigger a panic attack.

Although for people with anxiety disorders a scary video seems to be awful, however they could benefit a bit from it. By providing a safe and controlled environment to confront fears and anxieties, these films can help viewers build resilience and self-confidence. The experience of watching a scary movie can act as exposure therapy, allowing individuals to gradually desensitize themselves to the objects or situations that trigger their fears. But this therapy must be done only under the surveillance of a doctor!


Adrenaline enthusiasts

For many individuals, the sensation of fear can be exciting, providing a rush of adrenaline and a sense of pleasure. When the scary scene is over the adrenaline release gradually stops and this cessation process can act as a form of stress release, temporarily reducing tension and promoting relaxation. In this way, scary movies can serve as a cathartic (=purifying) experience, allowing viewers to confront and process their fears in a controlled environment.


Conclusion

It’s not always bad to watch a horror movie, but it’s very important to take into consideration the health condition because a movie should be a relaxing activity not a harmful one. Also, regarding every person's age and preference it’s substantial to choose an appropriate subgenre of this film category in order to make it an enjoyable experience.


FUN FACT!

Watching a horror movie gets your heart rate and adrenaline pumping, burning calories in response, because our body makes efforts to support this unusual overloading way to function. One study found that participants burned up to 190 calories, just by sitting and watching The Shining.



References

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page