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Some new research has determined that individuals tend to have a stronger belief in god when they consider what might have been or what could have happened, and this is especially true after a major event or life experience whose outcome could have been much worse than what it was. The study data and conclusions were published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, and the research has also concluded that rational and deliberate cognitive processes are used by believers to process evidence that backs their religious conviction. The research was performed after the lead investigator for the study, Dr. Anneke Buffone, started to be “intrigued by the question of how people perceive God as an active, trustworthy, and giving influence in their everyday lives.”
Dr. Buffone explained the study on a belief in god and what might have been by saying “Why is it that the vast majority of Americans, and many people across the globe, perceive a divine or spiritual influence in their lives and are firm believers in God, even in our modern world where many mysteries of the past have been scientifically explained?” The lead investigator went on to describe the study and stated “Counterfactuals — imagining how life would be different if a given event had not occurred — seemed like a good candidate due to its effect of making inferred connections between events seem more meaningful, surprising, and ‘meant to be’. We specifically explored how downward counterfactual thinking — thoughts about how life would be worse if an important life event had not occurred — may be a way in which believers come to perceive evidence for a God that is acting for their benefit. The results suggest that counterfactual thinking leads believers to the belief that the event did not occur by chance alone, and leads them to search for a source, in this case God, and this in turn leads to an increase in religious faith.”
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A new research study has found a link between parental depression and asthma in children, showing that when a parent receives treatment for depression there is a good possibility that the child’s asthma will improve. Studies have shown that kids with asthma are more likely to experience depression, and when a caregiver or parent for a child with asthma is depressed then the child will typically experience worsening symptoms. The latest study on this topic had led researchers from the University of Texas, Dallas, and the University of Buffalo to recruit 200 individual families so that further research and studies can be performed. The studies will take place at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.
The new research on children with asthma and depression in a parent or caregiver will screen the caregivers of children diagnosed with asthma to identify caregiver or parental depression. According to psychiatry and pediatrics professors Beatrice Wood, Ph.D. and Bruce Miller, M.D., “We are hypothesizing that an improvement in the caregiver’s depression will lead to a subsequent improvement in the child’s asthma. We have continuously found associations between emotional stress and worsening asthma, and that family relational stress plays a key role. We have specifically shown that a negative family emotional climate predicts worse asthma disease activity.”
Wood and Miller continued to explain the link with worsening asthma symptoms in children and parental depression, saying “When the parents’ depression got better, the children’s asthma got better. If a caregiver is depressed he or she may be less able to carry out the care of a child, especially a fragile child who is vulnerable with illness, They may not be able to manage the child’s medications or get the child to the doctor when necessary. At the same time our previous studies have shown that depression in the parent cascades into negative parent-child relationships, child depression, and worse asthma.”
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1. Choosing the wrong type of addiction treatment facility or program is a very big mistake, one that could cost you a future of sobriety and abstinence from drugs or alcohol. The wrong treatment methods or facility type could cause you to relapse, or even to leave treatment before you are finished and on the way to recovery.
2. One of the more common mistakes when it comes to substance abuse treatment is failing to understand what addiction is or how this condition works. Extended drug or alcohol use changes the way your brain works, and the damage done could take months or even longer to reverse once you do finally seek help and go for treatment.
3. Not cultivating the right attitude towards addiction treatment can mean failing to get sober and stay that way. Recovery can be a very challenging time even when the individual is highly motivated and has the right attitude. Those who are not willing to change or who are trying to fake it just to work the program or system will not get the help they need and deserve because they have the wrong attitude.
4. Not cultivating a strong and extensive support system is one of the biggest and most common mistakes that you can make. A strong support system is necessary so that you have the support you need when your will or motivation is low or when you feel a relapse close by. You will find that some friends and loved ones make recovery harder than it can be, and these people should not be considered part of your support group because they will not help you stay strong and keep your resolve to finally beat addiction once and for all.
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A new and innovative computer based treatment program may be effective at decreasing the symptoms and negative thought bias associated with Major Depressive Disorder or MDD. Researchers at the Hunan Normal University determined that using the program could help reduce the depression and associated symptoms in patients who were diagnosed with MDD, especially adolescents. In the USA alone it is estimated that more than 10% of adolescents will have MDD, and this group is approximately 5 times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers who do not suffer from this type of mental illness. The researchers determined that attention bias modification or ABM can help individuals with MDD shift their thoughts and word associations from negative to neutral and then to positive.
ABM is a computer based treatment program which could help when Major Depressive Disorder is an issue. During the study the participants were divided into treatment and control groups. The control group received placebo training sessions while the other group actually received the ABM treatment program. There were 45 adolescents diagnosed with MDD who took part in the study and these teens were chosen from a school population. The placebo group also performed the same types of tasks as the treatment group but the teens in the placebo group had their attention directed to neutral and sad words equally rather than positive associations. The study data and results were published in JAACAP, the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Further studies will be needed before the data can be verified but this study shows great promise in treatment for MDD.
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A new study by Brown University researchers may have identified a link between mindfulness and glucose levels. Mindfulness refers to being aware of the thoughts and emotions that are presently being experienced, and people who have healthier glucose levels tend to be more mindful than those whose glucose levels are not as healthy. The research shows that improving the level of mindfulness and being able to live in the now and this specific moment can be beneficial and lead to better physical and mental health in the long run. The study researchers do caution that the data does not prove cause and effect though, but it does suggest that a higher level of mindfulness could lead to an improvement in cardiovascular health. A connection between healthier blood glucose levels and a higher level of mindfulness was seen by the researchers but there could be many other factors at play as well.
Brown University School of Public Health assistant professor of epidemiology and lead study researcher and author Dr. Eric Loucks explained the study on mindfulness and glucose levels and the results seen from this study. Loucks and the other researchers explained “This study demonstrated a significant association of dispositional mindfulness with glucose regulation, and provided novel evidence that obesity and sense of control may serve as potential mediators of this association. As mindfulness is likely a modifiable trait, this study provides preliminary evidence for a fairly novel and modifiable potential determinant of diabetes risk. There’s been almost no epidemiological observational study investigations on the relationship of mindfulness with diabetes or any cardiovascular risk factor. This is one of the first. We’re getting a signal. I’d love to see it replicated in larger sample sizes and prospective studies as well.”
