mental well-being Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good: How You Can Be 30 Percent Happier in 30 Days

AHA Publisher — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 08:00:41 +0000

Lori Johnson via CBN News – Over two hundred years ago, President Abraham Lincoln famously said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Is that even possible today in the midst of a global pandemic? [P]sychiatrist Daniel Amen, M.D. believes each of us can raise the degree of happiness we experience even in the midst of challenging circumstances like the ones we are facing today. The COVID-19 pandemic sent mental health crises through the roof. Over the last two years, adult depression tripled while depression and anxiety disorders among children more than doubled. “Americans are the unhappiest they have been since the Great Depression,” Dr. Amen told CBN News. However, he says it doesn’t have to be that way. “With the right strategies you can learn to be happier in a short period of time,” he said. After studying more than 200,000 brain scans, Dr. Amen discovered neuroscience techniques that can lead to increased happiness. He then tested them on his patients and found an average 32 percent improvement after one month. “I was pretty excited about it,” he said. “What most people don’t know is happiness is a moral obligation. God put us on the earth to be happier. If you ask someone who was raised by an unhappy parent or married to an unhappy spouse whether or not happiness was a moral obligation I can assure you they would say, ‘yes.'” What’s Your Brain Type? In his book, You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based On Your Brain Type, Dr. Amen prescribes different happiness strategies based on a person’s personality type. He says there are 16 different types, which are combinations of five main ones. “There are balanced people, almost anything will make them happy, spontaneous people who need novelty, persistent people who need routine and hate surprises. There are sensitive people, they got hurt the worst in the pandemic because they need other people and they need connection. And then there are cautious people who need to feel safe,” he said. Dr. Amen says while he recommends a targeted approach to happiness based on a person’s brain type, there are certain things everyone can do to raise their happiness level, regardless of their personality. The first step involves boosting your overall brain health. Strengthen Your Brain Believe it or not, our diet plays a major role in how well our brain functions. The types of foods and drinks we consume directly contribute to the way we think and feel through a complex system of neurotransmitters, hormones, and more. Dr. Amen says good brain health begins with minimizing the consumption of junk foods like sugary, processed foods and drinks that are loaded with chemical additives and lack fiber and other nutrients. Dr. Amen points out the very foods that comfort us while we are eating them, actually make our mood worse in the long run. “We reach for things that help us feel better now, but not later,” he said. Dr. Amen says much like junk food, some people tend to reach for alcohol to feel better at the moment, but in the long run, boozy beverages are best avoided. “I’m just not a fan,” he said. “People who drink every day have smaller brains.” Dr. Amen says supplements can also help improve brain health. While making recommendations based on personality type, he adds just about everyone can benefit from heavy-hitters like a multivitamin, probiotic, vitamin D, and fish oil as well as lesser-known supplements that really pack a punch. “My favorite for happiness is saffron,” he said. “It’s been shown in 24 randomized controlled trials to be equally as effective as antidepressants.” Control Your Thoughts In addition to improving brain health, another key to boosting happiness levels is learning to control our thoughts. Dr. Amen suggests several techniques to identify thinking patterns that lead to unhappiness and how to reverse them. “Whenever you feel sad, mad, nervous, or out of control,” he explained, “write down what you’re thinking and then challenge it. You don’t have to believe everything you think.” Dr. Amen recommends the Biblical practice of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. “Philippians 4:8: Think on whatever is true, right, lovely, worthy of praise. Let your mind dwell on these things, focusing on what you’re grateful for, starting every day with, ‘Today is going to be a great day,’ pushing your brain to what’s right, not just what’s wrong,” he said. “Notice what you like about other people more than what you don’t.” Go on a Media Diet Dr. Amen recommends limiting time online, pointing to research showing social media increases suicide risk in teenage girls, which he believes could be just the tip of the iceberg. “I think it’s very important for parents to supervise the feeds that go into their children’s brains,” he said. “And we should supervise them for ourselves.” Just like with social media, Dr. Amen says many people would likely be happier if they cut back on their consumption of negative news stories. So while genetics and circumstances can play a role in our overall happiness, it appears our choices and habits play even bigger ones. To read the original article click here.

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The Effect of Sedentism on Mental Wellbeing

AHA Publisher — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 08:00:12 +0000

Hidaya Aliouche, B.Sc. via News-Medical – Sedentary behavior, defined as activities that require minimal to no body movement, which consequently result in low energy expenditure, has emerged recently as a potential indicator of both physical and mental health in adult populations. There is an association between sedentary behavior and mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. What Is a Sedentary Lifestyle? Sedentary behavior is defined by the Sedentary Behaviour Research network in 2012 as any conscious behavior such as leaning or sitting which results in an energy expenditure of 1.5 metabolic equivalent task (MET) or less. MET is defined as the work metabolic rate relative to the standard resting metabolic rate (RMR) of kcal/(kg/h). One MET is the RMR for a person at rest. To express quantitative MET values qualitative: Sedentary behaviour: 1.0–1.5 METs ( Light intensity is 1.6–2.9 METs Moderate intensity is 3–5.9 Vigorous intensity is ≥6 METs Physical Activity and Its Implications on Mental Health Strong evidence suggests that physical activity is an effective strategy in reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood. This has been found by reviews and randomized controlled trials alike. A study conducted in Australia reported increased rates of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms associated with changes in physical activity. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study from America reported that reduced physical activity combined with increased screen time from both pre and post COVID19 shutdown increased the likelihood of depression, loneliness, and stress. Another report demonstrated a positive effect of light activity on mental health. This finding was corroborated by a UK survey which demonstrated that negative mental health outcomes, including anxiety, were negatively associated with moderate daily physical activity. Sedentary Behavior and Depression Mentally passive sedentary behaviors which encompass sitting, listening to media, television viewing, and talking, are positively correlated with depression risk. Contrastingly, mentally active sedentary behaviors such as reading, typing and participation in a meeting are not always associated with depression risk. In particular, the use of a computer, classed as a mentally active sedentary behavior was found not to be correlated in one study with depression, but in another demonstrated positive correlation with depression risk. This study demonstrates its controversial association with depression. The mechanistic basis that underpins the correlation between sedentary behavior and depression is thought to include the blocking of direct communication and reduction in social interactions, or the reduction in available time to engage in physical activity which is known to increase overall sense of wellbeing and reduce risk of depression. Sedentary Behavior and Cognitive Function There is a controversial relationship between sedentary behavior and cognitive function. Some studies have indicated that a less sedentary lifestyle and less sedentary work patterns have beneficial cognitive effects, while others have demonstrated no changes in cognitive function. A study that looked at replacing sedentary time slots with other forms of activity across six months in elderly adults exhibiting little physical activity significantly improved cognitive functions. These activities included moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sleep. Contrastingly, low-intensity physical activity did not cause statistically significant changes. Effects of COVID-19: Sedentism and Wellbeing Outcomes A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom in response to COVID-19 investigated the association between physical activity and sitting time on adults’ mental health as well as the influence of potential mediators and confounding variables. The researchers conducted an online survey between May and June 2020. 284 participants self-reported physical exercise, sitting time and mental health, through validated questionnaires. Results demonstrated that sitting time was strongly associated with adverse mental health effects during lockdown conditions. Interestingly, those with lower sitting times showed a significantly lower depression score than those that demonstrated increased physical activity. Similarly, subjective wellbeing appeared to be more strongly influenced by a reduction in total sitting time, with physical activity being non-significant in comparison. A combined analysis demonstrated that increased well-being was found to be the greatest in a group with the lowest sitting time and moderate or high physical activity compared to those that had high sitting time and low physical activity (that is, the reference group). Although the association between depression and sedentary behavior is well established in the literature, there is less robust, and indeed a controversial association between sedentary behavior and wellbeing. In addition, though there is a strong association between mental health and sedentary behavior, no studies have yet investigated the moderation effect of physical activity on the impact of sedentary behavior on the outcomes for mental health. Some evidence suggests that higher volumes of physical activity, that is between 60 and 75 minutes per day, can protect against an increased risk of mortality as a consequence of prolonged sitting (that is, more than 8 hours per day). However, this buffering effect for other mental health outcomes i.e. wellbeing is less demonstrable. In addition, the study performed a sub-group analysis that demonstrated the relationship between different aspects of physical activity and mental health. Consequently, domestic and garden physical activity as well as leisure-related physical activity showed a negative association with depression and a positive association with well-being. In a study conducted in Italy, gardening demonstrated a positive impact on psychological distress. The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors, Sedentary Behavior, and Well Being A study conducted during the pandemic demonstrated that sociodemographic predictors for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety included female gender and young age, with university students having higher rates of depression relative to the overall population and women being more than two times as likely to suffer from depression about men. This increased risk persists until the mid-50s. In addition to gender and age, those who are of lower income, or possess one or more comorbid health conditions find a previous diagnosis of mental health increases one’s risk of poor wellbeing as a result of sedentary behavior. References Pears M, Kola-Palmer S, De Azevedo LB. (2021) The impact of sitting time and physical activity on mental health during COVID-19 lockdown. Sport Sci Health. doi: 10.1007/s11332-021-00791-2. Park JH, Moon JH, Kim HJ, et al. (2020). Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks. Korean J Fam Med. doi:10.4082/kjfm.20.0165. Hamer M, Coombs N, Stamatakis E (2014) Associations between objectively assessed and self-reported sedentary time with mental health in adults: an analysis of data from the Health Survey for England. BMJ Open. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004580. Teychenne M, Costigan SA, Parker K. (2015) The association between sedentary behaviour and risk of anxiety: a systematic review. BMC Public Health.; doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1843-x. Hamer M, Coombs N, Stamatakis E. (2014) Associations between objectively assessed and self-reported sedentary time with mental health in adults: an analysis of data from the Health Survey for England. BMJ Open. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004580. To read the original article click here.

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Art Therapy and Teaching Through Art Can Contribute to Wellbeing of Students

AHA Publisher — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 07:00:56 +0000

Estonian Research Council via News-Medical – The doctoral dissertation focuses on school factors that affect the subjective wellbeing of school-aged children and how art can contribute to the wellbeing of students. The aim was to identify the school factors that affect the wellbeing of students and describe the potential of the arts to contribute to said wellbeing through art therapy and teaching through art. The first therapeutic intervention intended to improve the wellbeing of students through art was conducted in 2003 at Tallinn University Health Research Laboratory on high school-aged girls. The participants said that the therapeutic process aided by the arts (music, drawing) helped them with self-discovery and stress relief and described the experience as interesting and useful. Vibroacoustic therapy offered a pleasant bodily experience as the low frequency sounds cause physical sensations. The music the researchers used helped the participants focus on their thoughts and had a calming effect. Drawing was said to be relaxing and helped them discover themselves. The aforementioned art-based components contributed to the wellbeing of the students by improving the general functioning of the girls. From 2014, schools have started hiring creative therapists. The number of creative therapists working in schools was the highest during the 2017/2018 school year. Five of those therapists with whom the schools had signed employment contracts participated in the research. School executives were also involved. In order to support the students, the therapists used individual preventive and curative measures, psychoeducational groups and therapeutic recreation (healing, recovery, refreshment and mood support) programmes. They used evaluation of art therapy, which helped them track the aim and effectiveness of the therapy, and consulted and trained teachers, support specialists and parents. Through interviews with therapists and school executives, six categories describing the specifics of art therapy in schools emerged: active and creative, various forms of working, therapeutic lessons, calming and relaxing effects, therapeutic relations and support during adjustment. These categories highlight how art therapy differs from other support services provided by schools. Based on the example of Randvere School, the dissertation describes music-based teaching activities. The music-based activities used by teachers can be divided into five categories based on their goals: 1) restorative and transformative activities that support students in self-regulating; 2) activities aimed at listening, focusing and remembering, which develop cognitive skills; 3) activities that simplify learning and pique the interest of students or integrate a variety of topics; 4) music as a reward; and 5) socialising activity. Teachers pointed out that applying arts (music) in teaching does not require artistic training. The important part is that the teachers themselves enjoy making music. Teachers thought that the potential of music to improve the wellbeing of students was connected to it being refreshing and emotionally and relationally supportive. The doctoral dissertation connected two fields of research: research on school factors that affect the wellbeing of students and research describing the potential of the arts to improve the wellbeing, focusing on art therapy and teaching through art. The therapeutic approach as a support service in schools is gaining popularity, which is why it is extremely important to properly describe the fields of work of art therapists in schools; equally vital is describing the benefits of art therapy in achieving the school’s educational goals as seen by school executives. Application of the teaching thorough the arts method is one of the possible measures to improve the wellbeing of students through teaching. The bigger aim, however, is to introduce the opportunities of creative therapy in schools to the Ministry of Education and Research and to the heads of schools. Creative therapists apply a therapeutic approach in supporting the students at school and can help and advise teachers in teaching through the arts. The dissertation was supervised by professor Eha Rüütel from Tallinn University. The opponents are associate professor Kristi Kõiv from the University of Tartu and professor Merike Sisask from Tallinn University. To read the original article click here.

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