22 Things Happy People Do Differently

This article is from Chiara Fucarino. 

There are two types of people in the world: those who choose to be happy, and those who choose to be unhappy. Contrary to popular belief, happiness doesn’t come from fame, fortune, other people, or material possessions. Rather, it comes from within. The richest person in the world could be miserable while a homeless person could be right outside, smiling and content with their life. Happy people are happy because they make themselves happy. They maintain a positive outlook on life and remain at peace with themselves.

The question is: how do they do that?

It’s quite simple. Happy people have good habits that enhance their lives. They do things differently. Ask any happy person, and they will tell you that they …

1. Don’t hold grudges.

Happy people understand that it’s better to forgive and forget than to let their negative feelings crowd out their positive feelings. Holding a grudge has a lot of detrimental effects on your wellbeing, including increased depression, anxiety, and stress. Why let anyone who has wronged you have power over you? If you let go of all your grudges, you’ll gain a clear conscience and enough energy to enjoy the good things in life.

2. Treat everyone with kindness.

Did you know that it has been scientifically proven that being kind makes you happier? Every time you perform a selfless act, your brain produces serotonin, a hormone that eases tension and lifts your spirits. Not only that, but treating people with love, dignity, and respect also allows you to build stronger relationships.

3. See problems as challenges.

The word “problem” is never part of a happy person’s vocabulary. A problem is viewed as a drawback, a struggle, or an unstable situation while a challenge is viewed as something positive like an opportunity, a task, or a dare. Whenever you face an obstacle, try looking at it as a challenge.

4. Express gratitude for what they already have.

There’s a popular saying that goes something like this: “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.” You will have a deeper sense of contentment if you count your blessings instead of yearning for what you don’t have.

5. Dream big.

People who get into the habit of dreaming big are more likely to accomplish their goals than those who don’t. If you dare to dream big, your mind will put itself in a focused and positive state.

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Happy people ask themselves, “Will this problem matter a year from now?” They understand that life’s too short to get worked up over trivial situations. Letting things roll off your back will definitely put you at ease to enjoy the more important things in life.

7. Speak well of others.

Being nice feels better than being mean. As fun as gossiping is, it usually leaves you feeling guilty and resentful. Saying nice things about other people encourages you to think positive, non-judgmental thoughts.

8. Never make excuses.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Happy people don’t make excuses or blame others for their own failures in life. Instead, they own up to their mistakes and, by doing so, they proactively try to change for the better.

9. Get absorbed into the present.

Happy people don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. They savor the present. They let themselves get immersed in whatever they’re doing at the moment. Stop and smell the roses.

10. Wake up at the same time every morning.

Have you noticed that a lot of successful people tend to be early risers? Waking up at the same time every morning stabilizes your circadian rhythm, increases productivity, and puts you in a calm and centered state.

11. Avoid social comparison.

Everyone works at his own pace, so why compare yourself to others? If you think you’re better than someone else, you gain an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you think someone else is better than you, you end up feeling bad about yourself. You’ll be happier if you focus on your own progress and praise others on theirs.

12. Choose friends wisely.

Misery loves company. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with optimistic people who will encourage you to achieve your goals. The more positive energy you have around you, the better you will feel about yourself.

13. Never seek approval from others.

Happy people don’t care what others think of them. They follow their own hearts without letting naysayers discourage them. They understand that it’s impossible to please everyone. Listen to what people have to say, but never seek anyone’s approval but your own.

14. Take the time to listen.

Talk less; listen more. Listening keeps your mind open to others’ wisdoms and outlooks on the world. The more intensely you listen, the quieter your mind gets, and the more content you feel.

15. Nurture social relationships.

A lonely person is a miserable person. Happy people understand how important it is to have strong, healthy relationships. Always take the time to see and talk to your family, friends, or significant other.

16. Meditate.

Meditating silences your mind and helps you find inner peace. You don’t have to be a zen master to pull it off. Happy people know how to silence their minds anywhere and anytime they need to calm their nerves.

17. Eat well.

Junk food makes you sluggish, and it’s difficult to be happy when you’re in that kind of state. Everything you eat directly affects your body’s ability to produce hormones, which will dictate your moods, energy, and mental focus. Be sure to eat foods that will keep your mind and body in good shape.

18. Exercise.

Studies have shown that exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft does. Exercising also boosts your self-esteem and gives you a higher sense of self-accomplishment.

19. Live minimally.

Happy people rarely keep clutter around the house because they know that extra belongings weigh them down and make them feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Some studies have concluded that Europeans are a lot happier than Americans are, which is interesting because they live in smaller homes, drive simpler cars, and own fewer items.

20. Tell the truth.

Lying stresses you out, corrodes your self-esteem, and makes you unlikeable. The truth will set you free. Being honest improves your mental health and builds others’ trust in you. Always be truthful, and never apologize for it.

21. Establish personal control.

Happy people have the ability to choose their own destinies. They don’t let others tell them how they should live their lives. Being in complete control of one’s own life brings positive feelings and a great sense of self-worth.

22. Accept what cannot be changed.

Once you accept the fact that life is not fair, you’ll be more at peace with yourself. Instead of obsessing over how unfair life is, just focus on what you can control and change it for the better.

SOURCE:

http://successify.net/2012/10/31/22-things-happy-people-do-differently/

(accessed 23/3/13)

Σχιζοφρένεια

Πόσο συχνή είναι η σχιζοφρένεια; 

Περίπου το 1% του πληθυσμού αναπτύσσει σχιζοφρένεια κατά τη διάρκεια της ζωής του. Κατά την διάρκεια ενός έτους περίπου 0,11 – 0,14 ανά 1000 άτομα θα εμφανίσουν για πρώτη φορά σχιζοφρένεια. Μια δεδομένη χρονική στιγμή, 2,5 – 5 ανά 1000 άτομα έχουν την διάγνωση της σχιζοφρένειας. Τα δεδομένα αυτά αναγόμενα στον Ελληνικό πληθυσμό σημαίνουν ότι κάθε χρόνο περιμένουμε στην Ελλάδα 1000 – 1500 περίπου άτομα να εμφανίσουν για πρώτη φορά σχιζοφρένεια, 25000 – 50000 άτομα πάσχουν από αυτή μια δεδομένη χρονική στιγμή και 100.000 περίπου Έλληνες θα αναπτύξουν σχιζοφρένεια κατά την διάρκεια της ζωής τους. Η διαταραχή εμφανίζεται το ίδιο συχνά σε άντρες και γυναίκες και οι πληροφορίες που αναφέρονται σ’ αυτό το κείμενο ισχύουν και για τα δύο φύλα. Μια διαφορά μεταξύ των δύο φύλων αφορά την ηλικία εμφάνισης των πρώτων ψυχωτικών εκδηλώσεων: οι άντρες νοσούν πιο συχνά μεταξύ 15 – 25 ετών και οι γυναίκες μεταξύ 25 – 35 ετών. Η εμφάνιση της σχιζοφρένειας πριν την ηλικία των 10 ετών και μετά τα 50 είναι εξαιρετικά σπάνια. Λιγότερο φανερά συμπτώματα όπως η κοινωνική απομόνωση ή απόσυρση, ασυνήθιστη ομιλία ή σκέψη ή συμπεριφορά, μπορεί να προηγούνται ή να έπονται των πρώτων ψυχωτικών συμπτωμάτων. 

Ποια είναι τα συμπτώματα της σχιζοφρένειας; 

Ψευδαισθήσεις: Ο κόσμος του σχιζοφρενικού ασθενή μπορεί να κυριαρχείται από ψευδαισθήσεις, δηλαδή μπορεί να αντιλαμβάνεται πράγματα που στην πραγματικότητα δεν υπάρχουν. Για παράδειγμα, μπορεί να ακούει φωνές που να του λένε να κάνει συγκεκριμένα πράγματα, να βλέπει ανθρώπους ή αντικείμενα που στην πραγματικότητα δεν είναι μπροστά του, ή να αισθάνεται αόρατα χέρια να αγγίζουν το σώμα του. Οι ψευδαισθήσεις αυτές μπορεί να είναι αρκετά τρομακτικές. Το άκουσμα φωνών που οι άλλοι άνθρωποι δεν ακούν είναι ο πιο συχνός τύπος ψευδαίσθησης στην σχιζοφρένεια. Οι φωνές αυτές μπορεί να σχολιάζουν τις ενέργειες του ασθενή, να μιλούν μεταξύ τους για τον ασθενή, να τον προειδοποιούν για επερχόμενους κινδύνους ή να δίνουν εντολές στον ασθενή για το τι να κάνει. 

Παραληρητικές Ιδέες: Είναι πεποιθήσεις ή πίστεις του ασθενή που είναι ψευδείς, δεν υπόκεινται στον έλεγχο της λογικής, παραμένουν παρά τις περί του αντιθέτου αποδείξεις και δεν αποτελούν μέρος του πολιτισμικού περιβάλλοντος του ασθενή. Οι παραληρητικές ιδέες είναι συχνές στην σχιζοφρένεια και μπορεί να έχουν διάφορα θέματα, όπως ιδέες μεγαλείου, ιδέες δίωξης (ότι άλλοι άνθρωποι θέλουν το κακό του ασθενή) κ.λ.π. Μερικές φορές τα παραληρήματα στη σχιζοφρένεια είναι εξαιρετικά παράξενα – για παράδειγμα, η πεποίθηση ότι οι γείτονες ελέγχουν την συμπεριφορά του ασθενή με την βοήθεια μαγνητικών κυμάτων, ή ότι οι παρουσιαστές της τηλεόρασης απευθύνουν ειδικά στον ασθενή ιδιαίτερα μηνύματα ή ότι η σκέψη του ασθενή εκπέμπεται και γίνεται γνωστή και σε άλλους. Οι παραληρητικές ιδέες δίωξης, που είναι συχνές στην παρανοειδή σχιζοφρένεια, είναι παράλογες και ψευδείς πεποιθήσεις των ασθενών που πιστεύουν ότι άλλοι μπορεί να θέλουν το κακό τους, ότι τους κλέβουν, ότι προσπαθούν να τους δηλητηριάσουν ή ότι συνωμοτούν εναντίον τους. Ο ασθενής μπορεί να πιστεύει ότι ο ίδιος, ένα μέλος της οικογενείας του ή κάποιος άλλος είναι ο στόχος αυτής της φανταστικής καταδίωξης. 

Αποδιοργανωμένη Σκέψη: Συχνά, η σκέψη του σχιζοφρενικού ασθενή επηρεάζεται από την ασθένεια. Ο ασθενής μπορεί για ώρες να μην μπορεί να σκεφτεί “κανονικά”. Οι σκέψεις μπορεί να έρχονται και να φεύγουν πολύ γρήγορα από το μυαλό του και να μην μπορεί να τις “πιάσει”. Ο ασθενής μπορεί να μην έχει την δυνατότητα να συγκεντρωθεί για αρκετό χρόνο σε μια του σκέψη και μπορεί εύκολα να αποσπάται και να μην είναι ικανός να εστιάσει κάπου την προσοχή του. 

Πόσο συμμορφώνονται με τη θεραπεία τα άτομα με ψύχωση; 

Μία από τις σημαντικότερες αιτίες των υψηλών ποσοστών υποτροπής είναι η έλλειψη συμμόρφωσης στη θεραπεία. Οι νοσηλευόμενοι ασθενείς έχουν ποσοστά μη συμμόρφωσης από 10 έως 30%, ενώ οι κοινοτικές δομές αναφέρουν υψηλότερα ποσοστά που κυμαίνονται από 40 έως 50%. Σε κάποιες μελέτες το ποσοστό μη συμμόρφωσης στη θεραπεία στη διάρκεια ενός έτους μετά από το πρώτο επεισόδιο έφτασε το 59%. Το πραγματικό ποσοστό μη συμμόρφωσης πρέπει να είναι υψηλότερο, αφού οι μετρήσεις δεν υπολογίζουν τα άτομα που αρνούνται την αγωγή ή εγκαταλείπουν την παρακολούθηση. 

Η επιστημονική βιβλιογραφία αναφέρει ότι μόνο το ένα τρίτο των ασθενών με σχιζοφρένεια παρουσιάζουν πλήρη συμμόρφωση στη θεραπεία. Το άλλο τρίτο παρουσιάζει μερική συμμόρφωση, δηλαδή οι ασθενείς αυτοί θα μειώσουν τη δόση του συνταγογραφούμενου φαρμάκου ή μερικές φορές θα παραλείψουν να το πάρουν. Το υπόλοιπο ένα τρίτο των ασθενών δεν θα ακολουθήσουν καθόλου τις συνταγογραφούμενες οδηγίες. Επίσης, οι κλινικοί συχνά υπερεκτιμούν τη συμμόρφωση των ασθενών τους, αφού συχνά δεν θεωρούν την έλλειψη συμμόρφωση ως πιθανή εξήγηση της θεραπευτικής αποτυχίας. 

Γιατί πρέπει να συμμορφώνονται στη θεραπεία τα άτομα με ψύχωση; 

Γενικά, σε ασθενείς με σχιζοφρένεια, η πτωχή συμμόρφωση ή η έλλειψη συμμόρφωσης με τη θεραπεία συνδέεται στενά με αυξημένο κίνδυνο υποτροπής, μεγαλύτερη συχνότητα εισαγωγής σε νοσοκομείο και μεγαλύτερη διάρκεια νοσηλείας, όταν το άτομο εισαχθεί. Η επιδείνωση των συμπτωμάτων μπορεί επίσης να οδηγήσει σε μη ανταπόκριση στη θεραπεία με αντιψυχωτικά και στην ανάπτυξη χρόνιας ψύχωσης. Η υποτροπή εξαιτίας της μη συμμόρφωσης έχει επίσης συνδεθεί με αυξημένη πιθανότητα βίαιων ή επικίνδυνων συμπεριφορών, κατά τις περιόδους κυρίως των παραγωγικών συμπτωμάτων της ψύχωσης. Επιπλέον, η μη ακολούθηση των γραφόμενων οδηγιών μπορεί να έχει αρνητική επίπτωση στην πρόγνωση, ειδικά σε ασθενείς που βρίσκονται στα αρχικά στάδια της σχιζοφρένειας, ενώ μπορεί επίσης να επηρεάσει την καθημερινή λειτουργικότητα και ποιότητα ζωής του ασθενούς. 

Ποιοι παράγοντες επηρεάζουν τη συμμόρφωση στην αντιψυχωτική αγωγή; 

· Παράγοντες που σχετίζονται με τον ασθενή: ηλικία, κοινωνική κατάσταση, στάση απέναντι στη νόσο και τη θεραπεία της. 

· Παράγοντες που σχετίζονται με τη νόσο: έλλειψη ευαισθησίας συμπτωματολογία, διάρκεια νόσου, χρήση αλκοόλ και ουσιών. 

· Παράγοντες που σχετίζονται με το γιατρό: παροχή πληροφόρησης, σχέση με ασθενή. 

· Παράγοντες που σχετίζονται με τη θεραπεία: παροχή πληροφόρησης, ικανοποίηση, παρενέργειες, περιπλοκότητα, επιτήρηση, διάρκεια. 

· Παράγοντες που σχετίζονται με το περιβάλλον του ασθενούς. 

Γενικές στρατηγικές για την αποφυγή της μη συμμόρφωσης. 

Εξασφάλιση στενής σχέσης γιατρού-ασθενή

Θεραπευτική στρατηγική που επιτρέπει μέγιστη αποτελεσματικότητα και ελάχιστες παρενέργειες, χρησιμοποιώντας ως πρώτης-γραμμής θεραπεία τα δεύτερης γενιάς αντιψυχωτικά

Συνταγογράφηση μίας ημερήσιας δόσης

Προτιμάται η μονοθεραπεία

Άμεση αντιμετώπιση των παρενεργειών

Παροχή προφορικών και γραπτών πληροφοριών σχετικά με τη νόσο και τη θεραπεία ακολουθώντας εμπεριστατωμένες οδηγίες

Τακτική συζήτηση θεμάτων κόστους / οφέλους

Ταυτοποίηση παραγόντων κινδύνου για συμπεριφορά μη συμμόρφωσης

Τακτική εκτίμηση της συμμόρφωσης

Σχεδιασμός εξωνοσοκομειακής φροντίδας κατά τη διάρκεια της νοσηλείας 

Είναι σκόπιμη η συμμετοχή των οικογενειών στη θεραπεία ατόμων με σχιζοφρένεια; 

Έχει διαπιστωθεί ότι οι ασθενείς και οι οικογένειές τους που έχουν συμμετάσχει σε ψυχοεκπαιδευτικές ομάδες παρουσιάζουν βελτίωση στην πρόληψη των υποτροπών, στη «συμμόρφωση» με τη φαρμακευτική αγωγή, στην καλύτερη κοινωνική προσαρμογή, στην ικανοποίηση από τη φαρμακευτική αγωγή, στην καλύτερη ενημέρωση για την ασθένειά τους, και στην απομυθοποίηση και απόστιγματοποίηση της ψυχικής νόσου. Ο πλήρης ψυχοεκπαιδευτικός κύκλος είναι 10 συναντήσεις, με συχνότητα μία ανά εβδομάδα, διάρκειας μίας ώρας η κάθε μία. Με απλό τρόπο αλλά με πλήρη επιστημονική τεκμηρίωση και με σεβασμό στο ιατρικό απόρρητο, δίδεται μία πλήρης πληροφόρηση σε όλα τα θέματα που αφορούν την ψυχική νόσο και ειδικότερα την σχιζοφρένεια. 

Πώς γίνεται η ψυχοεκπαίδευση των οικογενειών των ατόμων με σχιζοφρένεια; 

Εξετάζονται τα αίτια της ασθένειας, οι τρόποι αντιμετώπισης, τα φάρμακα, οι ανεπιθύμητες ενέργειες των φαρμάκων, η ψυχοκοινωνική αντιμετώπιση, η πορεία και η εξέλιξη της νόσου, ο ρόλος της οικογένειας, και η κληρονομικότητα. Η ψυχοεκπαιδευτική ομάδα δίνει ταυτόχρονα την δυνατότητα στους συμμετέχοντες, να εκφράσουν την προσωπική τους εμπειρία, να ανταλλάξουν απόψεις, να αισθανθούν το «κοινό» του προβλήματος, να βγούνε από την απομόνωση, και να βρούνε λύσεις σε προβλήματα που μέχρι τώρα τους οδηγούσαν πολύ συχνά σε αδιέξοδο. 

Σημαντική προϋπόθεση για την καλύτερη αντιμετώπιση ενός θέματος, είναι η κατά το δυνατόν καλύτερη γνώση του. Η άγνοια της ασθένειας, της φαρμακευτικής αγωγής, της ψυχιατρικής προσέγγισης, μπορεί να δημιουργήσει ένα μύθο. Το μύθο της τρέλας, των θρησκευτικών – δαιμονικών δοξασιών, του φάρμακου – δηλητηρίου και των πιο περίεργων απόψεων για τον ψυχίατρο και τις ψυχοθεραπείες. Όλα αυτά έχουν σαν αποτέλεσμα τον φόβο που οδηγεί τον μεν ασθενή στη άρνηση της αρρώστιας και στη μείωση την συνεργασίας του στη λήψη της φαρμακευτικής αγωγής, την δε κοινότητα στην στιγματοποίηση. Καταστάσεις που με την σειρά τους ενισχύουν τον φόβο, δημιουργώντας ένα φαύλο κύκλο, που σαν αποτέλεσμα έχει την απόρριψη της ασθένειας από τον ασθενή και του ασθενούς από την κοινότητα. Η ψυχοεκπαίδευση στοχεύει ακριβώς σε αυτό το σημείο. Στην γνώση της νόσου, που οδηγεί στην απομυθοποίηση της και επομένως στην καλύτερη αντιμετώπισή της. 

Ποιοι άλλοι τρόποι ψυχοεκπαίδευσης εφαρμόζονται; 

Tα τελευταία χρόνια με το κίνημα του αποϊδρυματισμού και την αντιμετώπιση του αρρώστου έξω από το ίδρυμα, στην κοινότητα, ο ρόλος της οικογένειας γίνεται ακόμη πιο σημαντικός αφού η οικογένεια αποτελεί το κύριο φυσικό υποστηρικτικό σύστημα για τον άρρωστο και τη βασική και πολλές φορές μοναδική πηγή φροντίδας. Για να βοηθηθούν οι οικογένειες ν’ αντιμετωπίσουν τις δυσκολίες της ψυχικής διαταραχής έχουν αναπτυχθεί σύγχρονες παρεμβάσεις που απευθύνονται στην οικογένεια, όπως οι ψυχοεκπαιδευτικές ομάδες συγγενών, οι υποστηρικτικές ομάδες συγγενών και οι ομάδες αυτοβοήθειας. Οι ψυχοεκπαιδευτικές ομάδες συγγενών είναι εξαιρετικά χρήσιμες στην υπεύθυνη ενημέρωση των οικογενειών για την αρρώστια και την αποτελεσματική αντιμετώπισή της. 

Οι υποστηρικτικές ομάδες συγγενών βοηθούν τους συγγενείς να νοιώσουν ανακούφιση από το βάρος της αρρώστιας, να εκφράσουν τα συναισθήματά τους, τα άγχη και τις αγωνίες τους, να συμφιλιωθούν με την αρρώστια και να παλέψουν το στίγμα και την κοινωνική προκατάληψη. Αυτές οι ομάδες υποστήριξης αποτελούν συνήθως τη βάση για τη δημιουργία ομάδων αυτοβοήθειας. Οι ομάδες αυτοβοήθειας συστάθηκαν από οικογένειες για οικογένειες που έχουν ανάγκη βοήθειας αλλά και από ειδικούς που αναγνωρίζουν την ανάγκη αυτή. Στηρίζονται περισσότερο στη βοήθεια από τα μέλη που έχουν το ίδιο πρόβλημα και λιγότερο στη βοήθεια από τους ειδικούς. Οι ειδικοί πάντως είναι απαραίτητοι κυρίως στις ψυχοεκπαιδευτικές και τις υποστηρικτικές ομάδες. 

Βέβαια όλες αυτές οι ομαδικές παρεμβάσεις δεν είναι πανάκεια. Είναι όμως ένας σημαντικός κρίκος στην αλυσίδα των παρεμβάσεων για την αντιμετώπιση της σοβαρής ψυχικής ασθένειας που αναφέρονται στη οικογένεια. Ο εκπαιδευτικός και υποστηρικτικός τους ρόλος έχει ανεκτίμητη θεραπευτική αξία. 

ΠΗΓΗ: 

Ο Μ Π Ρ Ε Λ Α Διεπιστημονική Εταιρία Ψυχολογικής Παρέμβασης 

http://obrela.gr/enimerosi/psixosi/

(accessed 15/3/13)

Smiling fighters are more likely to lose

The day before mixed martial artists compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), they pose with each other in a staged face-off. A new study has analysed photographs taken at dozens of these pre-fight encounters and found that competitors who smile are more likely to lose the match the next day (pdf via author website).

Michael Kraus and Teh-Way David Chen recruited four coders (blind to the aims of the study) to assess the presence of smiles, and smile intensity, in photographs taken of 152 fighters in 76 face-offs. Fighter smiles were mostly "non-Duchenne", with little or no crinkling around the eyes. Data on the fights was then obtained from official UFC statistics. The researchers wanted to test the idea that in this context, smiles are an involuntary signal of submission and lack of aggression, just as teeth baring is in the animal kingdom.

Consistent with the researchers' predictions, fighters who smiled more intensely prior to a fight were more likely to lose, to be knocked down in the clash, to be hit more times, and to be wrestled to the ground by their opponent (statistically speaking, the effect sizes here were small to medium). On the other hand, fighters with neutral facial expressions pre-match were more likely to excel and dominate in the fight the next day, including being more likely to win by knock-out or submission.

These associations between facial expression and fighting performance held even after controlling for betting behaviour by fans, which suggests a fighter's smile reveals information about their lack of aggression beyond what is known by experts. Moreover, the psychological meaning of a pre-match smile appeared to be specific to that fight - no associations were found between pre-match smiles and performance in later, unrelated fights. Incidentally, smaller fighters smiled more often, consistent with the study's main thesis, but smiling was still linked with poorer fight performance after factoring out the role of size (in other words, smiling was more than just an indicator of physical inferiority).

If fighters' smiles are a sign of weakness, there's a chance opponents may pick up on this cue, which could boost their own performance, possibly through increased confidence or aggression. To test the plausibility that smiles are read this way, Kraus and Chen asked 178 online, non-expert participants to rate head-shots of the same fighter either smiling or pulling a neutral expression in a pre-match face-off. As expected, smiling fighters were rated by the non-expert participants as less physically dominant, and this was explained by smiling fighters being perceived as less aggressive and hostile.

Of course, the researchers are only speculating about what's going on inside the minds of the fighters pre-match. It's even possible that some of them smile in an attempt to convey insouciance. If so, Kraus and Chen said "it is clear that this nonverbal behaviour had the opposite of the desired effect - fighters were more hostile and aggressive during the match toward their more intensely smiling opponents." 

_________________________________ 

SOURCE:

RESEARCH DIGEST : http://www.researchdigest.org.uk

Kraus, M., and Chen, T. (2013). A Winning Smile? Smile Intensity, Physical Dominance, and Fighter Performance. Emotion DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0030745 Author weblink: https://sites.google.com/site/mwkraus/

'Violence risk' after military tours

By James GallagherHealth and science reporter, BBC News

Younger members of the armed forces returning from duty are more likely to commit violent offences than the rest of the population, a study suggests.

Researchers analysed data from nearly 14,000 UK service personnel who had served in wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

They highlighted a particular issue in younger men and those who had combat roles or had a traumatic experience.

The results in the Lancet medical journal come 10 years after the start of the war in Iraq.

The Ministry of Defence, which funded the study, said it was committed to improving services and trying to break the stigma around mental health by getting people in the armed forces and veterans to talk about their problems.

The report showed that overall criminal activity was slightly lower in military personnel than in people of the same age in the wider population. Some 94% of men returning from combat zones will not offend.

The military don't select chess-playing choir boys”Prof Simon WesselyKing's College London

However, the researchers found violent offending was higher within members of the armed services and there was a "stark" difference in men aged under 30.

Just over 20% of the 2,728 young men followed had committed a violent offence, compared with 6.7% of young men outside the military.

Most violent offences were assaults.

Being in the junior ranks, deployment in a combat role and experiencing traumatic events, such as being shot at, were all linked to an increased risk of violence when service personnel returned from duty.'Choir boys'

Alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder were also closely associated with violent behaviour.

The researchers did adjust their analysis to account for the backgrounds of those studied - those with a greater tendency towards violence may be more inclined to choose combat roles.

Prof Simon Wessely, from King's College London, told the BBC: "Those who are in combat roles are themselves slightly different from those who are not.

"The military don't select chess-playing choir boys. They select people who often come from difficult and aggressive backgrounds and they're the ones who are most likely to end up in the parts of the military that do the actual fighting.

Analysis

Jonathan BealeDefence correspondent, BBC News

Research into the effects of combat and deployment on the mental health of the military is still in its infancy.

But there's already plenty of evidence to give cause for concern.

It's more obvious in the United States where rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, among those who've fought in Iraq and Afghanistan has reached as high as 15%.

There's also been a surge in suicides among American troops - reaching a rate of one a day in 2012.

Here in the UK the figures are much lower. Rates of PTSD have been reported at about 4%. But there's other research that suggests levels of alcohol misuse are higher in the military. And now this study by King's College London suggests higher rates of violent offending too.

As always with ongoing research, it's difficult to draw hard conclusions. But one thing is clear - the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be felt for many years to come.

"The biggest single risk factor is those who previously had violent offending before they joined up, but there is still an impact of combat, mediated partly through excessive drinking and partly through developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health problems as a result of combat."

He added that the reluctance of young men to admit they may not be coping is the "biggest single obstacle" to tackling the problem.'Body and mind'

Lewis McKay, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said his character changed from "laid-back" to "aggressive" after he returned from Afghanistan.

"Nothing will ever prepare you for what you physically see or physically do in Afghanistan... there is only so much that anyone's body and mind can take.

"My wife didn't exist to me... I felt a lot of anger towards her and I came very, very close to hitting her.

"Instead I was walking out the door and punching holes in doors and windows... I had flashbacks. A car door slam would be enough to make me drop to the ground."

The 26-year-old added that until soldiers receive help, problems such as PTSD will continue to manifest. He now works as a security guard at a BBC building.

Surgeon Capt John Sharpley, a Ministry of Defence mental healthcare expert, agreed that getting young soldiers to ask for help was a "major issue".

"Stigma is a really big problem. The study shows there is a link between mental health symptoms and violent offending.

"It is not possible to train yourself for something that is traumatic, which by definition is something outside one's experience.

"We do a lot [at the MoD], but we're always going to be in a situation when we need to do more."

A spokesman for the MoD said: "We are committed to supporting members of our armed forces, and their families, as they return to civilian life post-deployment.

"This report recognises that the vast majority of service personnel make this adjustment successfully and are not more likely to commit a violent offence post-deployment - there is only an increased risk of 2% when compared to the general population.

"However, any violent offence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by our armed forces."

The Royal British Legion said: "The vast majority of ex-service personnel go on to live successful and law-abiding lives. However, inevitably, and for a variety of reasons, a small number experience difficulties."

Source:

BBC News 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21790348

(Accessed 15/3/13)

Video Games May Aid Children With Dyslexiα

   By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
J


Playing action video games may improve reading in children with dyslexia, Italian researchers have found.

The small study, published online last week in Current Biology, involved two groups of 10 dyslexic children. One group played action video games for nine sessions of 80 minutes each, while the other followed the same routine with nonaction games. The researchers bought the games in retail stores and have no financial interest in any video game company.

Age, I.Q., reading speed, error rates and phonological skills were similar in the two groups at the beginning of the study. The researchers measured the attention and reading skills of the children before and after the game sessions and then compared them.

Those trained on the action games scored significantly higher than those who played the nonaction games by various measures: combined speed and accuracy, recognizing pseudo-words made of random letters, and reaction time. The action game players also scored higher on tests that measured attention by inserting distractions as the children tried to accomplish various visual and auditory tasks.

“The correlation between attention improvement and reading improvement was very high,” said the co-first author of the study, Simone Gori, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Padua. “The change in attentional abilities translates into better reading ability.”

Source:

The New York Times :   Health/Sceince

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/05/video-games-may-aid-children-with-dyslexia/?ref=health

(accessed 6/3/13)

Poor sleep linked to heart failure

 

Poor sleep linked to heart failure, Norwegian study saysBy Smitha Mundasad Health reporter, BBC News
 

Waking up too early and having problems settling back to sleep may have a negative impact on the heart, a study shows

People who have trouble drifting off to sleep may be at increased risk of heart failure, researchers say.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, followed more than 50,000 people for 11 years.

Scientists found those who suffered several nights of poor sleep were more likely to develop the condition, in which the heart fails to pump properly.

Experts say further research is needed to see if a lack of sleep causes heart failure or the link is more complex.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote


"Luckily many of the things that reduce the chance of heart failure also reduce insomnia; good diet, exercise, weight loss and not smoking”End Quote Dr Tim Chico Univeristy of Sheffield

Scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at more than 50,000 people aged between 20 and 89. At the beginning of the study, none of them were known to have heart failure.

In this condition the muscles of the heart are often too out of shape to do their job properly - they may be too weak or too stiff to pump blood around the body at the right pressure.

More than 750,000 people in the UK have heart failure and for the majority there is no cure.

People with the disorder may feel increasingly breathless and exhausted.

And as heart failure worsens, it can be difficult to get a full night's rest - but the Norwegian study is one of few to investigate whether poor sleepers without the condition are at risk of getting it in later life. 'Stress hormones'

During the research, the participants were asked whether they had any difficulties getting to sleep or staying asleep and whether they felt fully restored after a night's slumber.

How to get a better night's sleep

Try avoiding key things that make it hard to sleep such as a bedroom that is too warm
Creating a personal sleep profile can help you manage your body clock effectively

Sources: Mental Health Foundation and BBC Science
Discover what disturbs your sleep the most

People who had trouble falling asleep and remaining asleep each night were three times more likely to develop heart failure than those who reported no trouble sleeping.

Those who experienced substandard sleep that failed to leave them fully refreshed were also at risk.

And this link between a bad night's sleep and heart failure remained true despite researchers taking smoking, obesity and other well known triggers of insomnia and heart problems into account.

The researchers say it is unclear exactly why poor sleep and heart failure are associated in this way.

Dr Laugsand, lead author of the study, said: "We don't know whether insomnia truly causes heart failure. But if it does, the good thing is it is a potentially treatable condition.

"So evaluating sleep problems might provide additional information in the prevention of heart failure."

He suggests the lack of sleep may provoke harmful responses in the body.

Heart Failure

In this condition the heart fails to pump blood around the body effectively.

Most commonly this is due to damage to the muscles of the heart because of:
Heart attacks
High blood pressure
Excessive alcohol
Cardiomyopathies - a group of diseases that affect heart muscle
Some people are born with heart failure
British Heart Foundation

"When you have insomnia your body releases stress hormones which in turn may effect the heart in a negative way," he said..

The same team of researchers have previously reported a link between people prone to insomnia and heart attacks.'Unpleasant condition'

And diabetes, depression and poor brain function have all been linked to missing restful hours in bed.

Dr Tim Chico, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Sheffield said: "This is an association study - it links insomnia to heart failure, but does not prove that insomnia causes heart failure or vice versa. Studies like this raise interesting suggestions that need further work to examine.

"Insomnia is a very unpleasant condition, but there are effective lifestyle changes that can reduce it, such as weight loss and exercise.

"Luckily many of the things that reduce the chance of heart failure also reduce insomnia - good diet, exercise, weight loss and not smoking."

June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This research shows a link between insomnia and your heart, but this doesn't mean sleepless nights cause heart failure.

"It's well known that getting enough sleep is vital for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

"Trouble drifting off can be helped by taking a warm bath to relax, or avoiding caffeine and heavy meals too close to the end of the day.

"If lack of sleep is becoming a problem and affecting your daily life, have a chat with your GP."





Source:

BBC News Health: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21667943
(accessed 6 March 2013 )

It's not just criminals who feel unsafe when the police are around

The idea that police on our streets makes people feel safer is usually taken as a given. It's the basis of the so-called "reassurance policing" agenda, which advocates higher numbers of visible front-line police. And when increased police numbers are announced, members of the public often welcome the news. "I'm all for more police on the streets," said a Chicago resident earlier this month after the announcement of increased patrols, "It makes me feel safer seeing them around my community."

A new study challenges this received wisdom. Whereas most surveys ask people to reflect on whether they'd feel safer with more visible police, Evelien van de Veer and her colleagues took a different approach, looking at how the presence of police affected people's sense of safety right at that moment.

The researchers quizzed over 200 Amsterdam residents out shopping about how safe they currently felt. For some, two to four police were currently visible patrolling the vicinity; for others no police were present. Overall, the presence of police made no difference to participants' answers. However, focusing just on the male participants - those who answered when a police patrol was nearby actually reported feeling less safe.

Next, the researchers showed 124 students pictures of a street scene and asked them to rate how safe it seemed. The photos were doctored so that some of the participants saw a police officer in the scene. The key finding here was that a graffiti-daubed alleyway was rated as safer when a policeman was in the scene, but a leafy residential street was rated as less safe when a policeman was present. This difference was found for both sexes, but was more pronounced for men.

Van de Veer and her colleagues proposed two possible explanations for what they described as this "ironic" consequence of police presence. They said the sight of a police officer could act as a warning signal, directing people's attention to potential danger in the vicinity. Or they suggested the sight of police could trigger automatic mental associations of concepts like crime or violence (this would be a social priming effect - an area of study that's currently under close scrutiny).

Why were men particularly prone to feeling unsafe in the presence of police? The researchers suggested this may be because they are more often the victim of violent crimes, and more often the cause of police needing to be called to a scene. This reasoning seems vague and van de Veer's team admitted "further exploration of this issue is required."

The researchers concluded that their findings have real-life implications for police forces and policy makers. "A general increase in the number of visibly present police officers may not have the intended effect," they said.

Past research covered on the Digest has shown that CCTV cameras can also increase feelings of insecurity; so too neighbourhood watch signs: http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/cctv-cameras-dont-reassure-they.html.
_________________________________

Source:

RESEARCH DIGEST : http://www.researchdigest.org.uk

van de Veer, E., de Lange, M., van der Haar, E., and Karremans, J. (2012). Feelings of Safety: Ironic Consequences of Police Patrolling. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42 (12), 3114-3125 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00967.x

Author weblinks: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/evelien-van-de-veer/54/791/236