12
Feb 24

I thought I was a hermit, and other great realizations…

Charismatic is the word my mother uses to describe me, others have said social butterfly and I find this very peculiar considering my adoration for solitude.  When the world shut down during the COVID pandemic it seemed like a gift, here was a reason to stay home and do whatever I wanted and never have to see anyone ever again, I could stay inside without guilt.  Living in San Diego people often suggest getting outside, it’s a nice day they say, well I say every day is a nice day, it’s Southern California, leave me alone.

That’s not to say that I don’t love to be around people, and admittedly so, to be the center of attention, but I really like my alone time.  So, looking back I found it odd that the time in lockdown had the opposite effect I had originally imagined.  In the wake of the pandemic I had put on more pounds than I care to admit, lost my motivation for going anywhere, and therefore any interaction with people outside of a gas station attendant or my kids. Now possibly it was not getting any exercise, or because I had two small boys in school online while I was in nursing school prep courses, but I was not myself to say the least. I had lost my mojo, and I felt angry, and very much inside my head, it was indescribably difficult and I felt alone.

It has been a few years now, my boys survived and so did I, life has begun to seem normal again, but only recently.  As this awareness of normalcy came to fruition, so did the realization that something had gone wrong during that time of isolation, and it wasn’t just a lack of exercise, there was more to it, there was a host of emotional turmoil to sift through, but what struck me most, why had that been the outcome and not a shining butterfly of self-care and peace of mind emerging from that time away from everything?  I loved being alone, I enjoyed binging shows, and puttering around my house without any social contact, so why was I a mess?

It was Aristotle who first proposed that we are social creatures and seek the companionship of others as a component of our well-being.  Well-being, however, has become somewhat of a buzzword and feels rather elusive to attain, like Peter Pan’s shadow, just slipping one’s grasp.  That is, until I started piecing the puzzle together, the whys and whats so to speak of what happened to me, and so many others during this time that could have, and maybe for some, was used to better oneself, in my case, felt more like crawling out of a cave.

Studies have shown that those who regularly attend church or social events tend to live longer and healthier lives (Pew Research Center, 2019), (Godman, 2023).  Many of us have heard that religion leads to happier, and thus healthier lives, but what is it that offers this life extension?  According to (Umberson & Karas Montez, 2011) when adults are more socially connected, they too live longer and healthier lives than their counterparts (isolated adults).  And, in one news brief (Godman, 2023), researchers conducted a study examining the lifestyle and social environments of 28,000 individuals for a term of five years.  Findings show that the more that people were socializing the longer they were living, if they did not socialize every day, they still lived longer than those who did not socialize at all (Godman, 2023).

There was credible information showing we are indeed social animals, and this solitude many of us lived through had a serious impact on our overall health and well-being.  As the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023) state, people who are socially connected are more likely to have stability, healthy relationships, and improved decision-making ability.  They go on to mention that the very choices we make are better for our health when we are among others and that we manage stress better, and depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).

So here it was, findings that show just how important social interaction is for our overall well-being, the elusive shadow, completely within my reach.  It took baby steps, I started delivering food, and would occasionally interact with a customer, and then I started easing into grocery stores, and more.  Now about 4 years later, I have begun to lose weight, I have people over to my house again, and I go out and socialize.  I realized that I am seen as charismatic and social because although I am a social butterfly, my “me time” is imperative for recharging my energy.  However, with that being said I can see clearly now that the support of others, and those daily interactions, no matter how brief, are all part of our nature, and something I was desperately lacking.  As Thomas Kottke once said “Medicine is a social science in its very bone and marrow” (Kottke, 2011).

 

 

 

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 8). How Does Social Connectedness Affect Health? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/emotional-wellbeing/social-connectedness/affect-health.htm#:~:text=When%20people%20are%20socially%20connected

Godman, H. (2023, July 1). Even a little socializing is linked to longevity. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/even-a-little-socializing-is-linked-to-longevity#:~:text=Within%20the%20first%20five%20years

Kottke, T. E. (2011). Medicine Is a Social Science in Its Very Bone and Marrow. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 86(10), 930–932. https://doi.org/10.4065/mcp.2011.0444

Pew Research Center. (2019, January 31). Religion’s Relationship to Happiness, Civic Engagement and Health Around the World. Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/01/31/religions-relationship-to-happiness-civic-engagement-and-health-around-the-world/

Umberson, D., & Karas Montez, J. (2011). Social Relationships and Health: a Flashpoint for Health Policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510383501

 

 

 

 


17
Nov 23

It Takes Two to Make One

Fertility is a common discussion that many people have to face at some points in their life. Many couples try to have a baby and do so with ease, others struggle a little more. There are several factors that contribute to infertility and fertility struggles. Some may think since the female grows the baby, that would imply that the fertility would be solely dependent on the female but this is not the case. Therefore, the male should show interest in investigating the problem influencing fertility and the female should support this. This essay will discuss fertility and participatory research in males.

According to the readings, “Participatory (or sometimes action) research is when the researchers are a part of the community or other social situation and are vested in trying to learn something about an issue in that community.” (Psu, 2023). It is common to see the female in a relationship trying to conceive seeking help when needed for fertility but conceiving is based on both partners in the relationship. The question remains then, why are there far more females in fertility studies than men? Information that are pertaining to male fertility is vital to further research and develop better strategies to reduce infertility. This is why male participation in this research is important. We will now discuss why this discrepancy may occur and what can happen with this research.

According to the article, A Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing Male Participation in Fertility Research, “Male and female participants perceived that fertility is a women’s health issue and is a difficult topic for men to discuss. Men expressed fears of infertility tied to masculinity.” (Harlow et al.,2020). These results can suggest why the data on male and female fertility is not equal. If women feel that the issue is not a male problem because of their biological roots then why would males feel inclined to participate if they feel like they cannot help? This could be due to cultural or societal beliefs. Furthermore, the other issue found in this study of men feeling uncomfortable because they fear it will negatively impact their own self perception can definitely deter willing participation in data. We can see how both genders can contribute to this discrepancy in data. However, “Results suggest that more education and health communication on male fertility and reproductive health could help increase male participation in reproductive health research.” (Harlow et al.,2020).

In conclusion, we can now visualize how male participatory research in fertility is a multi-faceted issue. There are many contributing factors to this that involve not only men but also women. Societal and Cultural beliefs, fears and more can contribute to this issue. Therefore, it would be safe to conclude that the education of infertility as a whole is needed. Men should be able to feel normal coming into a space such as a fertility clinic without fear or stigma. Women should be able to be supported by their partners on their journey to pregnancy. These goals can hopefully be achieved through awareness and lead to change. Male fertility research is vital and studies suggest an increase in willingness to participate through education and awareness.

References

Harlow, A. F., Zheng, A., Nordberg, J., Hatch, E. E., Ransbotham, S., & Wise, L. A. (2020). A qualitative study of factors influencing male participation in fertility research. Reproductive health17(1), 186. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-020-01046-y

Psu. Lesson Overview. Penn State. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2283102/modules/items/38851166


15
Sep 21

Protecting Our Resources by Reducing Meat Consumption

Isn’t water 70% of our Earth?

Water scarcity is one of the most pressing issues when considering the ways that our climate continues to change. Water is constantly moving – in streams, rivers, clouds, and rain which means that water is a shared resource. Covering 70% of the Earth, water may appear to be an abundant resource when in actuality only 0.007% of the water on Earth is easily accessible freshwater (NATGEO). There is danger in the perception of a resource being abundant. “When the supply of a resource seems large or nearly limitless, individuals seem to feel free to exploit the resource as much as possible” (Gruman, et al., pg 355).

What Uses So Much Water?

A surprising amount of water goes to food production. While a pound of potatoes takes 31 gallons of water to produce, a pound of beef takes 1,857 gallons of water (Gruman, et al., pg 358)! It is extremely easy and affordable for us to line up in a fast food drive thru or pick up a few pounds of beef at the grocery store and we have no idea how many resources are consumed to put that food in our hands. To be responsible, consumers we need to be more aware of where our products come from and what we can do for the environment.

How Do I Help?

A study at Cardiff University revealed that social media can messages help to reduce the amount of meat consumption (2020). When sent 2 messages per day via Facebook messenger, the average participant went from eating 7-8 portions of red meat per week to eating 4-5 portions of red meat per week (Cardiff, 2020). We send messages out on social media every single time we post. If we can help remind people that eating red meat is one of the least efficient ways of food production maybe we can raise awareness as well as changing people’s minds and behavior.

Take Action!

When people think about the global crisis of global warming it is easy for people to think about recycling, using public transportation, and turning lights off as they walk out of the room. Red meat consumption is a huge contributor to global warming responsible for “15% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions” (Cardiff University, 2020). Consumers cannot cut back on their secondary use of water if they don’t know how much is being used to make the products they have in their hand! Help to raise awareness of this issue and choose to eliminate or reduce the amount of red meat that you consume daily.

 

Works Cited:

Cardiff University. “Social Media Messages Help Reduce Meat Consumption.” EurekAlert!, 9 Dec. 2020, www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/847848.

“Competing for Clean Water Has Led to a Crisis.” Environment, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/freshwater-crisis.

Gruman, Jamie A., et al. Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. SAGE, 2017.


27
Jul 20

The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Adult Aggression

Children who experience abuse, family dysfunction, and/or neglect, have a higher risk of developing health problems such as drug addiction, depression, obesity, and heart disease in adulthood. This notion is widely accepted, and has been proven in a series of studies that are funded by the Kaiser Permanente and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Kaiser and CDC project have collected a large database of the life histories and health of middle class residents that live in San Diego, California.

A San Diego psychologist has established that project’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) survey to link these negative childhood experiences with adult aggression and criminal activity, including violence, stalking, sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. In fact, the study found that the correlation is additive. The more types of difficulties a person undergoes in childhood, the higher the likelihood of engaging in criminal aggression as an adult.

The men in the study who were referred to outpatient treatment following their convictions for sexual offending, domestic violence, nonsexual child abuse, or stalking, reported about four times as many distressful childhood events compared to men in the general population. The men that were convicted of child abuse and sex offenses were more likely to report being sexually abused as children.

The link between the early damage and the later aggression explains why treatment programs that focus mainly on criminal acts are not as effective as they can be (Reavis, 2013). “To reduce criminal behavior one must go back to the past in treatment, as Freud admonished us nearly 100 years ago,” wrote Reavis in a Spring 2013 issue of The Permanente Journal. “Fortunately, evidence exists in support of both attachment based interventions designed to normalize brain functioning and in the efficacy of psychoanalytic treatment (Reavis, 2013).

So why is there a link between aggression and abuse? The combined experiences of neglect and abuse disrupt the child’s ability to regulate his emotions and to form secure attachments to others (Reavis, 2013). Therefore, men that were abused as children tend to either avoid intimacy completely, or are at risk to become violent in their intimate relationships, this is due to a “bleeding out” of their suppressed inner rage (Reavis, 2013). Not only should treatment for offenders focus on healing their neurobiological wounds, but the research also points to the need for more early childhood interventions in order to stop child abuse before its victims grow up to victimize others.

References:

Reavis, J. A., PsyD, Looman, J., PhD, Franco, K. A., & Rojas, B. (2013, March). Adverse childhood experiences and adult criminality: How long must we live before we possess our own lives? Retrieved July 27, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662280/


30
Sep 19

How Nutrition Impacts our Mental Health and Productivity

Most of us have heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true does that ring for mental health and not just physical health? It is common knowledge that proper nutrition is a vital aspect of physical health and wellbeing, but there isn’t much public knowledge on how proper nutrition or lack thereof can influence mental health and performance. Since health psychologists focus much of their research on how behavioral changes are affected by psychological factors, we know there is a connection between mental health and behaviors. According to Gruman, Schneider, and Coutts (2017), health psychologists use psychology to promote healthy behaviors and prevent illnesses. We have seen over the years a gradual change towards health promotion and healthy behaviors like minimizing fast food and having a more active lifestyle to achieve optimal physical health. Can the same healthy recommendations affect mental health and performance in the same way? Would it be possible to treat mental illness with healthy behavioral changes like proper nutrition?

Some research suggests that certain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive impact on mental disorders like depression. According to one meta-analysis that analyzed the results of 26 studies, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids showed improvement on depressive symptoms, while DHA did not exhibit any change (Liao et al., 2019). By increasing omega-3 fatty acids in one’s diet, it can limit the onset of depressive episode and possibly prevent mental health disorders like postpartum depression. A blog by Harvard Medical School showed that omega-3 fatty acids can be used alone or in conjunction with prescription antidepressants with promising change for improvement for depression and other mood disorders (Mischoulon, 2018). In addition to treatment for mood disorders, nutritional changes can affect disorders like schizophrenia. Although the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, it causes patients to experience disorganized behavior and an altered reality involving hallucinations and delusions. In order to combat this, some research suggests that a diet with a high dose of vitamin B6, B8, and B12 can help schizophrenia symptoms. In one meta-analysis study, researchers found that B vitamins showed a significant reduction in schizophrenic symptoms in patients when administered early on(Science Daily, 2017). If we can see improvement in mental disorders with dietary changes, can people without mental disabilities improve their mental health with the same changes?

Brain food is a common term used to describe foods that can improve brain functioning and mental performance. Can a banana or a stalk of broccoli help you solve crossword puzzles or perform better on tests? If true, this could become a useful tool in various environments like schools and work settings to increase productivity. Eating breakfast regularly has been promoted as an essential part of a diet because of its effects on overall health, but especially for children who attend school. In one study, it was found that 10th grade students who skipped breakfast frequently exhibited poor academic performance, fatigue, and increased distress (Lien, 2007). If more parents and schools encouraged daily breakfast, it could have amazing improvements on academic performance and overall mental wellbeing in children as well as adults. We know that there are types of foods that are known for improving mental performance such as fruits and vegetables, but there are specific foods that can improve certain aspects of brain functioning. For example, dark chocolate and blueberries contain antioxidants and also help improve memory loss. The vitamin K present in broccoli has shown to improve memory, but can also fight brain damage. Eating healthy is not only good for physical health, but also can improve mental functioning and wellbeing.

We have seen over the years the changes made to dietary recommendations to ensure that the public achieves optimal health. Dietary recommendations like the Food Pyramid or the Healthy Eating Plate have given guidelines that sought to educate the public on the types of food groups and servings of each that were to be consumed for a healthy diet. Although a healthy physique is an important aspect of life to fight off issues like obesity and diabetes, we also need to focus our attention on what a healthy diet could do for our mental health and wellbeing. I think more work should be done in the field of health psychology to investigate diets that could help treat or even cure mental disorders that often lead to a lack of nutrients in the body and brain. In order to promote health, we need to expand on ideas that help treat and prevent mental disorders and diseases. We could help children who battle eating disorders in school or veterans who suffer from PTSD just by analyzing and changing their diets to serve their mental needs. I think the problem with recommendations like the Food Pyramid and other food guidelines are that they are too one size fits all because everyone has different needs mentally, physically, and emotionally. Diets need to take on a more biopsychosocial perspective and become individualized for each person. I hope in the future we can move away from less pharmaceutical drugs to treat mental illnesses and focus more on nutritional healing.

References

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied social psychology: understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.

Liao, Y., Xie, B., Zhang, H., He, Q., Guo, L., Subramaniapillai, M., … Mclntyer, R. S. (2019). Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: A meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry9(1). doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0515-5

Lien, L. (2007). Is breakfast consumption related to mental distress and academic performance in adolescents? Public Health Nutrition10(4), 422–428. doi: 10.1017/s1368980007258550

Mischoulon, D. (2018, August 2). Omega-3 fatty acids for mood disorders. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-mood-disorders-2018080314414.

Science Daily. (2017, February 16). B vitamins reduce schizophrenia symptoms, study finds. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170216103913.htm.

 

 

 


30
Sep 19

You, Me, We, and Stress

Stress always sounds like a frequently used bad word. If you ask a fellow student, a parent, a family member, or a coworker how they feel, “stressed” is usually one of the common words they might use in description along with sleepy, exhausted, and burnt out.

To get technical, stress results from things that happen in our environment, according to the transactional model of stress. Unfortunately, this model implies almost anything can cause stress, “people, events, and situations” (Gruman, 2017). Those categories mentioned are called stressors and there are many things that fall into those three categories.

In these situations, our brains appraise the situation. Appraisals can happen consciously or subconsciously. When this happens think of fight or flight. Either we can think this situation is threatening to us or it’s something we can conquer or get over. We also have secondary appraisals that evaluate and assess our resources to determine how we handle the stressor.

Appraisals can be different for everybody even if it’s the same situation. For example, if I saw a snake (it could be at PetSmart), I would immediately appraise the situation to be threatening. My secondary appraisal would be my resources, my legs to move away from the aisle or my car keys to escape just in case the snake escaped its cage. My husband on the other hand, would appraise the situation as something he could overcome or may not be stressed by the situation at all. If we were looking at the same snake however, his stress maybe because of my reaction to the snake, not the snake itself. What can stress one person out may not phase another.

Appraisals can also change over time. Another personal example, at one point I used to be terrified of dogs. I had been bitten as a child. If I saw a dog, my subconscious appraisal was that the situation was threatening, and I would cry, scream, and beg to leave whatever place the dog(s) were. About 7 years later my cousin, whom I was very close with, got a dog. His gentle nature and my constant appearance in his home changed my appraisal. I no longer saw the situation as threatening. Later on, I grew to be a dog lover with my own two spoiled puppies.

This is an example of coping. Coping is “thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that people engage in when trying to reduce stress” (Gruman, 2017). In essence this means what do you do to reduce the stress that the event, person, or situation caused.

In my last example, I unknowingly was involved in problem-focused coping which is exactly how it sounds. I faced my problem head on to reduce the power it had to stress me out. Did I consciously think “Hey, you really have got to get over your fear of dogs. It’s ridiculous.” No, I did not, I was 10. But I did think, “I want to be around my older cousin more so if that means dealing with her dog then fine.” Pepper was a gentle lovable dog, he made it easy to start to look forward to his cuddles when I saw him. Pepper himself didn’t make my fear of dogs obsolete, but his nature did help me cope. Eventually he was a point of stress relief and now so are my dogs.

There is another type of coping called emotion-focused coping. It deals with how people try to regulate their own emotions in order to reduce the effects of stress. It’s commonly thought of in terms of things we can not change, however, it’s important to note that this does not mean that we avoid the stress. Avoiding stress can lead down a destructive pathway which could possibly bring on more stress.

I experienced emotion-focused coping when I found out that Pepper died. I do not like to be sad, but I let the emotion come forth and I also thought about all the things Pepper opened me up to. Because of Pepper I have two dogs that I love so much. I learned how to take care of an animal because of him. I also learned how to train a dog and instill obedience. My dogs have a better life because of my own interaction with Pepper.

If you notice my end results in both dog examples was that they lead to a healthy outcome. Using the coping methods appropriately lead to a healthy management of stress. Other coping mechanisms for stress management are relaxation training, expressive writing, and using cognitive behavioral therapy to identify stressors, discuss appraisals, and practice coping strategies (Taylor, 2018). Stress may not cause illness; however, it can greatly exacerbate it. Other factors affect stress like socioeconomic status, negative events. Stress can also impact sleep and the time frame to recover from the physiological effects on stress on the body.

To reduce the likelihood of developing chronic stress or incur any of the negative effects of stress it’s important to also have a support system. Social support according to Taylor is information from others that one is loved and cared for, esteemed and valued, and part of a network of communication and mutual obligations. This means that people are better able to cope and have healthier outcomes with social support.

There are difference types of support such as tangible assistance, which is like a monetary gift or someone physically helping you move. Informational support is getting advice or information on situations we’ve never faced before such as getting marital advice as a newlywed. Emotional support is what we receive from people that love and care about us and our well being. Though this doesn’t list all types of support, these are just a few things to possibly reduce our haste to stress out.

Stress is something that can’t be avoided. Our bodies were made to respond to it for our survival, but it can be managed so that it won’t take over our lives and our health. Let’s make use of all of those strategies to keep up healthy and thriving.

 

References

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

Taylor, S. E. (2018). Health Psychology. New York: McGraw Hill Education.

 


26
Sep 19

Impossible Burger, impossible to trust?

It’s no secret that consuming meat can lead to various health and environmental issues. Imagine the joy of people who aspire to make a change to improve their health and/or to fight global warming when they woke up this morning to CNN news (2019) reporting that starting this Thursday people in East Coast can find the Impossible Burger in most Wegmans. But is Impossible Burger possibly a healthier choice compared to traditional burger patties? Also, how did Impossible burger quickly become the new “IT” food?

In recent years, many environmentally conscious people decided to become vegetarian, or even vegan, to help fight global warming. Bobby Magill (2016) states in climatecentral.org that by heavy reducing consumption of read meat, primarily lamb and beef, by 2050 the per capita food and land use-related greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 15% to 35%. Additionally, the per capita emission could be reduced by half if people decide to become vegetarian (Magill, 2016). More importantly, Harrison Wine (2012) reports in National Institutes of Health that following their longitude study “those who consumed the highest levels of both unprocessed and processed red meat had the highest risk of all-cause of mortality, cancer mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality.” Thus, it’s not a surprise that when Impossible Food was first launched three years ago at Momofuku Nishi, it immediately became the newest “IT” food (Yeung, CNN.com, 2019). People are excited to finally have a healthier choice to satisfy their meat cravings. But, again, is Impossible Burger really healthier?

First, let’s look at the nutrition facts of Impossible Burger and compare it with traditional burgers. According to goodhousekeeping.com and womenshealthmag.com the ingredients in the impossible burger and traditional burger are as follows: 

Impossible burger  Beef Patty Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 4 ounces Serving Size: 4 ounces
Calories: 240 Calories: 260
Total Fat: 14g (18% DV) Total Fat: 16g (25% DV)
Saturated Fat: 8g (40% DV) Saturated Fat: 6g (30% DV)
Trans Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg Cholesterol: 94mg (32% DV)
Sodium: 370mg (16% DV) Sodium: 89mg (4% DV)
Total Carbs: 9g Total Carbs: 0g
Dietary Fiber: 3g (11% DV) Dietary Fiber: 0g
Total Sugars: <1g Total Sugars: 0g
Protein: 19g Protein: 28g
Calcium: 15% DV Iron: 17% DV
Iron: 25% DV Potassium: 11% DV
Potassium: 15% DV
Thiamin: 2350% DV
Vitamin B12: 130% DV
Zinc: 50% DV

What jumped out at a quick glance is the sodium content. Impossible Burger contains 370mg, or 16% of recommended daily value, and 2 grams higher in saturated fat (Picard, 2019). Furthermore, it also contains much less protein which will result in consumers feeling less full and potentially increase their food intake (Picard, 2019). More importantly, Jaclyn London (2019), a nutrition director at Good Housekeeping Institute states that “Plant-based protein that’s used to create something new — and therefore highly processed — is susceptible to being loaded with sodium and saturated fat.” The bottom line is that, it’s better for people’s health if they would eat meat in moderation than switch to Impossible Burger entirely and eat it excessively (London, 2019, cited in good housekeeping.com) 

Why, though, is Impossible Burger perceived as a healthier choice so quickly? Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts (2012) suggest that messages can be used as a tool to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyle habits (p.171). With a strong yet simple mission statement, Impossible Food (2019) is doing just that: Eat meat. Save Earth. The website impossiblefood.com (2019) proceeds with facts, claims, and information about how people save the earth when eating Impossible Burger. Schneider et al. (2012) explain this process as informational appeals, which is a process of providing people with facts and arguments about why it is important to engage in certain health behavior (p.171). The Impossible Food website organizes their facts and arguments in a fun, colorful, and futuristic way even, evidently targeting to a younger more progressive audience. As Schneider et al. (2012) stress that in order for informational appeals to be effective, it has to be constructed in a way that the target audience “gets it” (p.171). With the brief shortage of the Impossible Burger and the hype and excitement around it, it shows that their target audience “gets it.” 

While having choices and saving the earth is a good thing, people should pause and check the nutrition facts on the Impossible Food, first. For example, does anyone know Heme, its main ingredient, is? Heme is a soy product, and while humans have been eating all sorts of soy products, there’s no known reports that human had have actually consumed soy leghemoglobin (Heme) before (Clinton, The New Food Economy, 2017). Furthermore, heme is a protein produced by genetically modified yeast cells, so it’s rather new and the health and allergy risk is not yet known as of today due to a lack of empirical researches (Clinton, The New Food Economy, 2017). So, while Impossible Food has great potential for carnivores to save the earth, it still needs a lot of empirical researche to back up its data and claims. Thus, East Coast people don’t go out and buy all Impossible Burger just yet. Perhaps starts with the ancient method of trying everything in moderation, first.

 

 

 

 

References:

Clinton, P. (2018, July 27). The Impossible Burger is likely safe. So why is everyone scared of heme? Retrieved September 26, 2019, from https://newfoodeconomy.org/plant-blood-soy-leghemoglobin-impossible-burger/.

Magill, B. (2016, April 20). Studies Show Link Between Red Meat and Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.climatecentral.org/news/studies-link-red-meat-and-climate-change-20264

Mission Statement . (0AD). Retrieved from https://impossiblefoods.com/mission/

Wallace, H. A. Z. E. L. (2018, October 24). Sink Your Teeth Into This: The Impossible Burger Isn’t As Nutritious as You’d Think. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/food/healthy-eating/a708824/is-the-impossible-burger-healthy/

Wein, H. (2012, March 22). Risk in Red Meat? Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/risk-red-meat

Picard, C. (2019, April 30). I Ate an Actual Impossible Burger – Here’s What It Really Tastes Like. Retrieved from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a27286383/impossible-burger/

Schneider, F.W., Gruman J.A.,  & Coutts, L.M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Second Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. 

Yeung, J. (2019, September 26). The Impossible Burger has arrived in East Coast grocery stores. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/impossible-burger-east-coast-intl-hnk-scli/index.html?utm_medium=social&utm_content=2019-09-26T11:30:07&utm_term=link&utm_source=fbCNN&fbclid=IwAR0yLA91G620G1htwQ306N4MfYsUFrbUlvyMY3USmc8gRhqPTRe6h_ylubY


22
Sep 18

Sweet, Sweet, Stress

We often use the phrase “chocolate face” around my house to remind ourselves not to get too stressed out due to temporary situations beyond anyone’s control. Sounds strange? Well, maybe there is a little psychology behind this abnormal expression.

What seemed like the start to an average Saturday morning last June, quickly changed when I found my mom dead on the balcony off of her bedroom. In immediately contacting the police, I told the 911 operator that it looked like she had chocolate covering her face. I even searched around her body to see if I could find a random candy wrapper, empty chocolate milk container, or anything that would make the situation more understandable in my moment of shock. Of course, it was actually blood that had escaped from her nose, but the idea of “chocolate face” became a reminder for my family to take a step back and realize that life is too short to let tense moments get the best of us. In discussing different psychological concepts concerning stress and our response to that feeling, my phrase of choice may not just be bizarre, but may actually be part of a pattern experienced by many who find themselves in stressful situations.

Psychologists Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman hypothesize that stress is effectively an affair between and individual and their environment. During the tenure of this interaction, described as the transactional model of stress, four complimentary parts work together to identify the cause of anxiety, weigh the necessity for a reaction, learn how to respond, and how to evaluate the outcomes (Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, 2012).

Stressors are understood to be the environmental factors involved in inducing stress in an individual. These elements could be specific settings, certain people, or isolated circumstances that cause tension (Schneider et al., 2012). In terms of my mom’s death, she was not the cause of my agony, but the actual event in which I discovered that she was deceased gave me reason to become stressed.

An appraisal is the decision by the individual’s mind to react to the stressor (Schneider et al., 2012). Does this situation call for a fearful response? Are these people worth worrying about? How much strain should I feel because an event has occurred? If the answer is “yes” to the evaluation, then one begins to respond with some level of anxiety. While I seemed relatively calm in initially calling the police and notifying family members of my mother’s death this was likely due to shock, and after that wore off, I was left in a state of affliction with my stressor.

Coping is the next step in the relationship with stress, and it can involve two different behaviors to help reduce the burden. Problem-focused coping involves a forthright approach in which an individual actively works to minimize mental pressures (Schneider et al., 2012). If one was to find themselves in a social event that causes them to feel anxiety, they could cope by physically exiting the situation. If a peer is creating an issue at work, they may approach them directly to find relief. If schoolwork causes tension, then they may evaluate which parts are to blame and address those individually.

The second option for reducing stress is emotion-focused coping.  This method relies less on forceful behavior to solve one’s problems, and instead, targets changing one’s emotional approach to a stressful situation (Schneider et al., 2012). If someone is upset that they have no discretionary income to go on vacation, they may tell themselves to just be thankful for the food and shelter they do have. If their fostered dog gets adopted by another family, instead of sadness, they can be happy that the dog found a new home. If your team loses a close football game, you can decide that you are not sad, but excited for the experience gained in a tough contest.

My decision to manage the stress of my mother’s death by launching the “chocolate face” initiative seems to be a prime example of emotion-focused coping. Because the circumstance was out of my control, and could not be altered with any direct approach, I chose to modify my stressful feelings by searching for a positive outcome (Schneider et al., 2012). She was 54-years old at the time of her passing, so trying to convince myself that she had lived a long, and fruitful life seemed asinine. I was then left to contemplate the fragile nature of one’s time here on Earth and how quickly that can change, leaving me to try and never let stress overtake any situation.

The last phase of the transactional model of stress addresses the impact of anxiety on one’s health. Research has suggested that those who find themselves in increasingly stressful situations, and without the appropriate methods for coping, may experience higher levels of illness (Schneider et al., 2012). Stress can cause a variety of ailments from high blood pressure to autoimmune diseases, which may then lead to other stressors based on a decline in one’s well-being(Schneider et al., 2012). After my mom died, I did experience various moments of depression and headaches, but have worked through the process by trying to stay emotionally balanced.

In studying the factors of stress and coping, it seems that individuals follow a similar design in their behavioral choices, regardless of how unique these decisions may be. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model deconstructs each phase of the stress process including identifying the stressors, appraising reactions, finding coping mechanisms, and discussing future health outcomes. When I became stressed in response to my mother’s death last year, I made the decision to use emotion-focused coping to reduce my anxiety. The phrase “chocolate face” became a mantra to translate the feelings from my mother’s sudden departure, to an outlook based on overcoming life’s obstacles. Though I have not experienced any serious health ailments caused from this stressful situation, I still must remain diligent in not allowing this traumatic event to dictate my well-being. This would be the “sweetest” gift I could receive.

References:

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.A. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 


20
Sep 18

Being a Positive Influence for Health’s Sake

This week we learned about the biopsychosocial model. This model states that health is related not only to biology but also to psychological and social factors (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, p. 169 2012). The text talks about how social interactions can have a beneficial as well as negative impact on our health. For example, in my own personal life, I try to exercise regularly in order to stay healthy and maintain (or lose) weight. Because of my interest in staying healthy, I have a lot of friends that ask if they can work out with me. For them, having a work out partner is important to helping them make a similar health commitment to themselves, and I have the pleasure of being that positive impact.

That being said, I think a lot of the friends that I have are still in the early stages of change when they reach out about becoming healthier. Chapter 8 of the text also talks about the stages of change model, which includes pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance (Schneider et al. p. 180-181, 2012). The contemplation and preparation stages are generally where I find my friends, which is a place I was myself in for a long time. They are either contemplating their heath change, which means they are aware that a change needs to take place and are seriously considering doing so (Schneider et al. p. 180-181, 2012), or they are in the preparation stage which consists of making an actual plan and preparing to start making changes within the next month (Schneider et al. p. 180-181, 2012).

Taking classes like applied social psychology and learning about different health models has been very helpful to me, personally, as well as how I can help my friends and family. I was unhealthy for a long time and I never had any energy and was unhappy in a lot of ways. I’m definitely not the fittest person now, and I don’t make all of the right decisions, but I am much healthier and want to try and help the people I care about to be healthier as well. Hopefully having knowledge about the stages of change model, and others, will help me in my health endeavors!

References:

.Schneider, F. W., Gruman J. A., Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Los Angeles: SAGE.


17
Sep 18

Gut-Wrenching Anxiety

Source:http://elizabethyarnell.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Gut-brain-microbiome-300×194.gif

Ever “gone with your gut instinct” or had felt “gut-wrenching anxiety” when you’ve been nervous?  You may be getting information from your “second brain.”  The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is like a second brain in your gut.  That main role of the ENS is to control digestion.  Our guts consist of all of the organs that process, digest and eliminate food.  The ENS is the lining of that gut.  Jay Pasricha, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology says “The enteric nervous system doesn’t seem capable of thought as we know it, but it communicates back and forth with our big brain—with profound results.”  Our brain can directly affect our stomachs and our stomachs can also affect our brain, meaning, this communication goes both ways.  For example, just the thought of food can cause our stomach to begin releasing acids for digestion.

This adjusts thinking on several levels, does our brain health affect our gut health or can our gut health affect our brain health?  Perhaps therapies that help our brain, can also help our gut health.  More specifically, altering the bacteria in our guts could affect our brain health.  Research shows that changes in the microbiome of our gut can cause symptoms that look like anxiety, depression and even Parkinson’s Disease (Mussell, et al., 2008).  Results suggest that patients presenting with GI problems should be screened for anxiety and depression.   Similar research shows that individuals with anxiety and depression often experience changes in the gut microbiome due to high levels of stress (Posserud et al., 2004). The gut microbiome are the bacteria, viruses and fungi that all live in the gut.  Stress can physically affect the physiology of the gut, in fact, stress and the hormones produced by stress, can influence the movement and contractions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Given the knowledge of these connections, it makes sense that we can experience GI symptoms from stress.

Research on the link between gut and brain health is still relatively new and there is still a lot to learn.  Scientists have learned about prebiotics and probiotics that can specifically change brain health.  Specifically, omega-3 fatty foods, foods that are fermented or high-fiber foods can be beneficial to brain health.  There are millions of nerves connecting the brain to the gut and this communication goes both ways.  It will be exciting to see what researchers come up with to combat mental illness using this gut-brain connection knowledge.

 

References:

Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). The gut-brain connection – Harvard Health. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection

Mussell, M., Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., Herzog, W., & Löwe, B. (2008). Gastrointestinal symptoms in primary care: Prevalence and association with depression and anxiety. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64(6), 605-612. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.02.019

Posserud I, Agerforz P, Ekman R, Björnsson ES, Abrahamsson H, Simrén M. Altered visceral perceptual and neuroendocrine response in patients with irritable bowel syndrome during mental stress. (2004). Gut. Aug 1;53(8):1102-8. https://gut.bmj.com/content/53/8/1102

The Brain-Gut Connection. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_body/the-brain-gut-connection


09
Feb 18

Social Influence Upon Health

While health is commonly thought of in physiological terms, according to the biopsychosocial model, health is actually influenced by not only biological elements, but by psychological and social factors as well (Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, 2012).  In particular, the social implications upon health include a wide variety of factors.

Socioeconomic status, which considers financial and educational levels, has been shown to greatly impact health (Schneider et al., 2012).  Research indicates that the higher the socioeconomic status of the household or individual, the healthier the family or individual will be (Schneider et al., 2012).  It is easy to assume why this may be.  Those with less financial constraints are able to purchase adequate food, and perhaps even healthier options, or more high-end food products.  Those with higher education are typically more aware of health recommendations and risks.  Individuals with low socioeconomic status may not have access to proper medical care, or also lack in social support.  Essentially, higher socioeconomic statuses translates to more and better resources.

Those individuals we keep within our social circles also have the power to sway our health.  For example, if your spouse, best friend, or children are active and athletic, you may be influenced to also be active (Schneider et al., 2012).  Positive health influences equates to better health choices.  Additionally, solid relationships also point to better health and healthier choices as these elements support a better mood and lessened stress (Schneider et al., 2012).

On the other hand, stressful social environments can impact health negatively (Schneider et al., 2012).  Imagine an overworked manager.  Suppose he is working well over 40 hours a week, and once he gets off work, he is too tired to visit the grocery store to shop for the necessary ingredients to prepare a healthy meal.  Instead, he usually resorts to fast food, which does not always offer the healthiest options.

According to the World Health Organization, the majority of new major health concerns are tied directly to society, and basically how we operate within it (World Health Organization, 2010).  It is not fully understood just how much social factors contribute to health, just that the relationship is firm and established (World Health Organization, 2010).  Intervention strategies are currently being employed to combat social inequalities that, in part, fuel poor health among us (World Health Organization, 2010).

 

References

Schneider, Frank W., Gruman, Jamie A., & Coutts, Larry M. (2012).  Applied Social Psychology:  Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems.  Second Edition.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage.

World Health Organization. (2010). Equity, social determinants, and public health programmes. Retrieved from:  http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44289/1/9789241563970_eng.pdf.


22
Sep 17

Why I Only Engage in Some Health-Protective Behaviors: The Health Belief Model

For as long as I can remember, I have hated going to the doctor.  Sitting in the waiting room, the smell of the antiseptic in the office, feeling the alcohol swab on my arm right before a vaccine…it’s all terrible and it does not help that I am pretty phobic of shots.  Due to this, I tend to attempt to avoid many things that have to do with doctors’ offices and health, like getting yearly flu vaccines and going for yearly physicals, but I do go to the doctor with more serious concerns, such as major dental issues or more severe illness prevention.  After understanding how psychology concepts are applicable the adoption of health behaviors, I think I can explain my actions through the health belief model.  As presented in Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts (2012), the health belief model says that the health-protective behaviors in which people will engage will be influenced by cognitive factors, including general health values, perceived susceptibility to illness, perceived severity of illness, expectation of treatment success, perceived barriers and benefits, and cues to action.

As I said above, one of the health-protective behaviors that I tend to avoid is getting yearly flu vaccines.  While I am invested in maintaining good health, know I am susceptible to the flu, know I could actually get a vaccine if I wanted to, know a flu shot would likely work in preventing the flu, and see many cues to action regarding getting flu vaccines, my perceived severity of the illness and perceived barriers versus benefits stop me from actually getting a flu vaccine.  Generally, I do not consider getting the flu to be a super serious risk to my health.  I know that it can be serious, but as a young and generally healthy person, I tend to believe the flu will be, essentially, a mild inconvenience.  Also, in terms of perceived benefits versus barriers, I see the barriers outweighing the benefits.  I absolutely hate shots and tend to pass out when I get them and the only benefit would be potentially avoiding something I view as a minor inconvenience.  Based on this, getting a yearly flu vaccine just is not worth it to me, leading me to not partake in this health-protective behavior.

On the other hand, there are certain health-protective behaviors in which I do participate.  One situation occurred when I was planning to go on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua.  The CDC recommended two different vaccines for travel to Nicaragua (Hepatitis A, Typhoid), both of which I got.  In this case, my concern about maintaining good health (general health values), perceived susceptibility to illness (working in areas with many mosquitos and potentially contaminated water), perceived severity of illness (both hepatitis A and typhoid can both be serious and even deadly), expectation of treatment success (vaccines tend to be successful in preventing these diseases), self-efficacy (I knew I had the ability to get these vaccines), perceived barriers and benefits (benefits of not contracting a serious illness in a foreign country outweighed the barriers of cost and fear), and cues to action (going on the trip and being notified of recommended vaccines) all led me to go to the doctor and get these vaccines.  Essentially, my cognitions led me to participate in health-protective behaviors.

Based on the health belief model, it seems that the way to get me to change the types of health-protective behaviors in which I engage is to change the way I perceive certain aspects of them.  For example, if I perceived the flu as more severe, I would be more likely to get a yearly flu vaccine.  Also, if the barriers to getting the flu shot were diminished or the benefits were increased, I, again, would be more likely to get one.  If my job offered them for free or provided an incentive for getting a flu vaccine, that increased benefit would increase my desire to get one.  Additionally, if they made the nose spray flu vaccines more available, that would decrease a barrier to getting the vaccination and would likely increase the chances that I would get vaccinated.  Looking at how changing different factors of the situation could change my behaviors is fascinating.  It is really interesting to dissect the way cognitions can affect health behaviors in such extreme ways.

 

References

 

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understand and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

 

 


11
Feb 17

Let’s have a heart-to-heart about stress.

How was your day today? Were you happy, angry, sad, stressed? Many of us would answer that we felt some stress. So, what made you feel stressed? Was it class work, money issues, health, family? Maybe it’s all the above. But what does that stress do to us? In this week’s lesson, in Psych 424, we discussed health related problems due to stress. In the lesson, health psychology is defined as the science of understanding psychological issues, as well as social influences on why we become ill, how we stay healthy, and how our bodies respond.

A questionnaire, called The Dental Environment Stress Questionnaire, was given to 205 dental students enrolled in a Bachelor of Dental Surgery program in Australia to quantify and identify the sources of stress in their lives (Sanders & Lushington, 1999). D come as no surprise to us students, their greatest stressor was their grades. But what does this stress do to our bodies?

Most of us have learned that acute stress doesn’t tend to have long-term effects on our bodies. Animals experience acute stress in the wild most every day, but because the stress leaves once there is no longer a threat, the stress doesn’t have long term effects on their bodies. Chronic stress, which is what we humans have come to know so well, is the type that stays with us. It is the worries of work, finances, family, and any other thing that adds to our daily stress that makes them chronic stressors. This chronic stress is what is effecting our health. Though doctors don’t know exactly how chronic stress affects the heart, those at Harvard Medical have a good idea. They believe that it is most likely due to stress triggering inflammation, which is known as an instigator of heart disease. In addition to the inflammation, stress that leads to unhealthy behaviors such as a bad diet and lack of exercise can also lead to heart disease. (Harvard Health, 2017)

You may be thinking, “But what can I do? I’m always going to have stress in my life.” Harvard Medical School has 5 suggestions that may help.

First, they suggest staying positive. Have a laugh! It’s been found to lower stress hormones, reduce that instigating inflammation, and it can help increase “good” cholesterol!

Next, try meditating. The focused, deep breathing has been known to reduce some risk factors associated with heart disease.

Then comes the exercise. Though it may seem like a pain at the beginning, exercise releases mood-boosting chemicals that can help lower blood pressure, strengthen your heart muscle, as well as keep you healthy and stress free.

Unplug. Leave those work calls and emails until tomorrow if possible.

Lastly, find other ways to de-stress. Is listening to music, getting a massage, or reading a book your idea of releasing some stress?

What you think contributes to stress the most? Would any of these help YOU?

 

 

References

Harvard Health: 5 ways to de-stress and help your heart, February 11, 2017, Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/5-ways-to-de-stress-and-help-your-heart

Sanders, A. E., & Lushington, K. (1999). Sources of stress for Australian dental students. Journal of dental education63(9), 688-697.


25
Feb 16

Understanding Addiction

When considering the relationship between applied social psychology and health, one would be remiss in overlooking the topic of substance abuse. Addiction, while often incorrectly treated as an issue of poor self-control or will power, is at its heart a social problem. Therefore the solution to substance abuse problems in our society must consider a biopsychosocial approach.

In an article for The New York Times, Gabrielle Glaser focused on the work of Dr. Mark Willenbring, an addiction psychiatrist. Dr. Willenbring, unhappy with the current approach to treating addiction, developed his own center to assist addicts in achieving a healthier lifestyle (Glaser, 2016). In many ways his approach would fall under the category of a biopsychosocial intervention. A biopsychosocial approach is one that looks at health from the perspective of biology, psychology, and social factors (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).

Dr. Willenbring first looks at addiction from a biological perspective. He educates his clients in the role that genetics plays on substance abuse. Not only is this scientifically accurate, it allows those dealing with addictions to recognize that despite what they may have been told in more traditional treatment programs, addiction is not simply a personal or moral failure. He also takes in to consideration psychological factors. During the initial diagnostic process, he screens patients for underlying mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, in order to determine if these factors may be hampering their recovery process. He also considers the social aspect of addiction. He recognizes the need for those in the recovery process to have healthy social groups to support their efforts. Dr. Willenbring uses a multifaceted approach including medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group therapy sessions to tackle addiction like a disease instead of as a failure of character (Glaser, 2016).

Dr. Willenbring’s treatment protocols are considered by some to be controversial. As previously stated, traditional programs generally preach faith and complete abstinence. Dr. Willenbring, in contrast, approaches addition like a chronic disease that needs to be tended over time, but whose treatment plan must be based in empirically tested scientific data. He also believes that there has been a failure for existing programs to accept what the most current research is telling us about the treatment of addiction (Glaser, 2016). In many ways, this is an example of why it is so necessary for intervention programs to have an evaluation process. The evaluation process is essential in determining if the current intervention strategies are functioning as designed, and whether they are financially responsible investments (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012). Glaser’s (2016) article cites multiple sources that suggest that addiction is escalating in this country, and the traditional treatment of faith-based programs and in-patient treatment facilities, are perhaps not as effective or efficient, as they could be. One of the most recommended options for recovery is in-patient treatment in a rehab facility, yet despite the high cost, there is no reliable evidence that these facilities are any more effective than Dr. Willenbring’s inexpensive out-patient program (Glaser, 2016).

Applied social psychologists have an ethical obligation to find ways to promote affordable and evidence based intervention strategies for fighting addiction. The fact that hundreds of millions of dollars are being funneled in to programs that may not be meeting the criteria for being effective or efficient is a travesty. We, like the rest of the scientific community, must adjust existing programs to stay current to the best available research. If we do that, we can take significant steps in helping those suffering from addiction, as well as strengthen our communities in order to prevent future problems.

 

References

Glaser, G. (2016, February 22). For Mark Willenbring, substance abuse treatment begins with research. The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2016,          from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/science/mark-willenbring-addiction-substance-abuse-treatment.html?ref=health&_r=0

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.


13
Feb 16

The Possible Psychological and Health Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet

In taking a holistic approach to the human body, mind and environment all effecting each other, one must especially take into effect the influence that diet has not only on our body, but also on our minds. I wanted to research information that may be of use to me as I work towards becoming a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children with developmental disabilities and disorders. So, in attempting to research the effects of diet on people with autism, I found some interesting articles regarding a ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet consists of low amounts of carbohydrates and higher amounts of fatty proteins. By providing less carbohydrates for the body to convert to energy, the body begins to use the fats instead. Although this seems like a nice way to lose weight, it also has some beneficial effects for some psychological disorders.

 

In 1924, Dr. Russell Wilder of the Mayo Clinic recognized that this diet was very effective at treating symptoms of epilepsy. (The Charlie Foundation, 2014) The diet creates a higher amount of ketones and reduces the number of epileptic seizures. There are many benefits to this diet for people with epilepsy. There is also research being done to see if this diet has a positive effect on other disorders.  The Charlie Foundation is a group that specializes in educating people and providing support for people who choose to control seizures with a ketogenic diet. You can find more information at: https://www.charliefoundation.org/explore-ketogenic-diet/explore-1/introducing-the-diet

 

In 2015, researchers attempted to find a beneficial link between a ketogenic diet and autism spectrum disorder. They were unable to find evidence that it is a treatment for the disorder, but research did indicate that it was a promising therapy option. (Castro, et al., 2015)

 

In people with a genetic predisposition to cancers, depression is often easy to feel. They feel helplessness due to an inevitability of being diagnosed someday with cancer. I understand the feeling because there is a family history of breast cancer on my mother’s side of the family. However, recent research indicates that a ketogenic diet may suppress or delay the emergence of cancer (Klement & Kämmerer, 2011). By providing hope and preventing the feeling of inevitability, it can decrease the feelings of depression.

 

This diet is only one of many different diets, each with its own merits and uses. Although research is still being conducted as to alternative benefits of this diet, it may be a diet worth considering in order to promote physical and psychological health.

 

References

Castro, K., Faccioli, L. S., Baronio, D., Gottfried, C., Perry, I. S., & dos, S. R. (2015). Effect of a ketogenic diet on autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 20, 31-38. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1016/j.rasd.2015.08.005

Klement, R. J., & Kämmerer, U. (2011). Is there a role for carbohydrate restriction in the treatment and prevention of cancer? Nutrition & Metabolism, 8, 75. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1186/1743-7075-8-75

The Charlie Foundation. (2014). Explore Ketogenic Diets: Introducing the Diet. Retrieved from The Charlie Foundation: https://www.charliefoundation.org/explore-ketogenic-diet/explore-1/introducing-the-diet

 


11
Feb 16

Depression Screening for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Monism describes the body and mind as a whole entity; therefore, if one is off center, it can greatly impact the normal functioning of the other. Understanding this concept is key for living a healthy lifestyle that appeases both one’s body and mind (Pinker, 2002). With this concept in consideration an important way to maintain one’s psychological and physical health is pre-screening at risk groups for depression. More specifically, pre-screening pregnant and post-partum women for signs of depression. This is especially important because depression in pregnant and postpartum women can have a serious impact on the woman and developing child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Pre-screening this at risk group will provide essential preventative necessities to woman’s health care.

Pre-screening for depression is important because it is among the leading causes of disabilities in persons over the age of 15 in the United States. Perhaps most surprising is that a majority of its sufferers are unaware that they have depression: “At any given time, between 5 percent and 10 percent of U.S. adults suffer from a depressive disorder, but half receive no treatment for their depression” (HealthDay, 2016). Depression causes both physical and cognitive symptoms such as social withdraw, head and body ache, stomach pain, sleeping problems, disinterest in previously pleasurable activities and changing eating habits. Pregnant and post-partum women are especially at risk for developing depression due to fluctuating hormones, physical stress on the body, and emotional demands of taking care of a developing baby (HealthDay, 2016). In developing children effects of a mother’s depression can include premature delivery, low birth weight, preeclampsia, negative birth outcomes, irregular sleep patterns, poor attachment, and other cognitive and emotional developmental issues (Marcus, 2009).

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Patient Health Questionnaire is a simple and effective way to pre-screen for possible depression. It consists of 10 questions and can be easily given to women at regular Ob-gyn appointments and check-ups. Studies show that 10%-16% of pregnant women meet criteria for major depression. Even more surprising is that 86% of these women are not receiving appropriate care for their depression (Marcus, 2009). Clearly, these numbers are shocking and reveal a major health concern for not only pregnant and postpartum women, but for the families and children involved. Considering monism and the importance of balancing one’s mind and body, pre-screening for pregnant and postpartum women needs to become more prevalent, and more awareness of maternal depression must be of high importance in the world of health and social psychology.

 

References

HealthDay, & U.S News and World Health Report. (2016, January 26). Depression Screening Should Include All Pregnant, Postpartum Women: Panel. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2016-01-26/depression-screening-should-include-all-pregnant-postpartum-women-panel?page=2

Marcus, S. M. (2009, March 26). Depression in Childbearing Women: When Depression Complicates Pregnancy. Retrieved February 11, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2680254/

Pinker, S. (2002). The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. New York: Viking.

 


07
Oct 15

Stress and health

Stress comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes stress can save our lives and sometimes stress can inhibit our body’s basic functions causing damage to multiple systems. Short-term stress is usually not cause for concern since most everyone will experience a stressful situation one time or another. Chronic stress is the type of stress that is cause for concern. Chronic stress can lead to many negative effects with in the body such as a suppressed immune system, over active HPA axis, which can cause internal tissue damage, and eventually lead to mental illness. Some studies have shown sex has a large part in who develops stress related illnesses.

 

Girls and women have been shown to have higher rates of stress-induced mental illnesses (Anderson, 2009). Women are also more likely to have social anxiety disorders than men (Anderson, 2009). This has been said to be due to women experiencing more traumatic events such as rape, or domestic violence (Anderson, 2009). This does not mean men do no get anxiety disorders, but they are less likely.

 

Stress can also make a work environment very hard to work in. When there is stress in the work place, a group setting, then productivity will go down. I remember when I bartended I had a regular who would be paid to go into a work place and help increase productivity by solving what ever social problems the employees had. His largest project was in Portland, OR. He described most of the tension being due to poor communication between administration and the workers, and when something would go wrong the administration would have harsh penalties. The problem was the administration wasn’t giving their employees good direction. It wasn’t until I started taking this call that I realized he followed the step of intervention almost perfectly.

 

It is extremely important to maintain stress levels not just for health reasons but also for social and mental reasons. Lower stress levels keep the immune system happy, helps keep the mind happy, and helps with relationships. Social psychology has the potential to relieve stress from everyday lives if used correctly especially in the work place.

 

Works Cited

 

Anderson, & McLean. (2009). Brave men and timid women? Clinical Psychology Review.


29
Sep 14

Oz The Great and Powerful

DrOZ

I was on my computer and ran across a news article that features Dr. Oz on my home page. He is a cardiothoracic surgeon and a television personality made famous by Oprah. In the article, he was asked to speak before the Senate for potentially deceptive advertising for weight loss supplements (Firger, 2014). I was curious about this so I watched the video that accompanies the article. I won’t comment on whether he did or did not use deceptive advertising but something caught my attention. In the video, Sen. Claire McCaskill tells Dr. Mehmet Oz, “with great power, comes great responsibility” (Firger, 2014). I asked myself, where does this power come from? Lots of people try to sell weight loss supplements and the Senate does not see them as a threat. What makes him so special? I think the principles of applied social psychology can help explain why.
In my opinion, Dr. Oz exerts a large amount of social influence. Social influence being defined as the interactions with others that leads to changes in our attitudes, beliefs, values, or behavior (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 171). So in other words, when Dr. Oz interacts with others, it can lead to changes in their attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavior. When he is trying to interact in this way through his television show, it is called persuasion (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, 171). So the question became, what makes him so persuasive.
First, we need to understand the kind of message he is giving. I would define it as an informational message. An informational message provides facts and arguments for why people should be engaging in certain health behaviors (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, 171). Now, the Senate has called into question whether his advice is actually healthy (meaning they might not be facts) but that is not my question. His persuasive technique is built around an informational message and that is what matters. With this as my assumption, there are certain criteria that applied social psychology can use to predict how persuasive this informational message will be. Using these criteria as measurements of his persuasiveness, I intend to show why Dr. Oz is so powerful.
So lets begin with the criteria that make an informational message persuade. In order for an informational message to be effective, it should come from a credible source. Dr. Oz is a heart surgeon, which gives him substantial credibility. Also, the person should be attractive and similar to the audience (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 171) because attractive faces tend to be thought of as more sociable, extroverted, and popular (Aronson, Wilson, &Akert, pg 275). Furthermore, people tend to prefer faces similar to their own and it may come from a feeling of “familiar is safe” and “unfamiliar is potentially dangerous” (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, pg 274). Dr. Oz can be thought of as “good looking” and is like the target audience. Even though attractiveness seemingly has nothing to do with anything, there seems to be an “attractive is good” stereotype (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, pg 275). So these qualities combine to make him trustworthy and thus help him be persuasive.
Another important aspect of an informational message is whether people take the message to heart (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 171). Dr. Oz does a great job of this by grabbing attention with “fear appeals” (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 171). Using headlines and phrases like, “Dangers of walk-in medical procedures” and “Could a common fibroid procedure cause cancer?” (www.doctoroz.com). He also combines this fear appeal with specific recommendations (to lose weight, use this pill for example), which increases effectiveness of the fear appeal (pg 172). This seems to be because you cannot just scare someone, you have to give him or her a way to ease his or her fears in order for the message to be effective and Dr. Oz appears to be a master at this.
With all this in mind lets review and see how Dr. Oz measures up on the criteria shown to increase his persuasive ability. Dr. Oz is credible, attractive, and familiar. He uses fear appeals to grab attention so people attend to his informational message. He then follows these fear appeals with specific instructions on how to reduce the fear. Dr. Oz scores extremely high on all of these criteria and applied social psychology principles would predict that he would be persuasive. This is inline with Sen. McCaskill’s comments. Applied social psychology therefore, provides a good theory (based on research and not opinion) as to why Dr. Oz is such a powerful influence on the substantial number of people who watch his show and the Senate has good reason to be watchful of him.

References

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2013). Social Psychology (8th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Firger, J. (2014, June 17) Dr. Oz Defends Weight Loss Advice at Senate Hearing on Diet Scams. CBSNews. Retrieved from:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dr-oz-defends-weight-loss-advice-at-senate-hearing-on-diet-scams/

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


28
Sep 14

What Work Should Really Be: Work Engagement

Companies are always searching for ways to become more profitable and increase productivity, but at what cost? There are many issues that result in overworked and stressed out workers that can lead to health issues and other problems such as depression and alcohol abuse. A more recent concept to help battle this type of burnout is work engagement, which can be described as workers “who approach their work with energy, dedication, and focus” (Association for Psychological Science, 2011). So how can work engagement help?

The goal of empowering your employees with work engagement is to give them the sense of purpose and fulfillment in their job. When an employee feels engaged in the work place they tend to produce more and be more innovated while taking initiative to help improve the work environment and the service and/or product they are working for. Arnold Bakker (2014) mentions that “research has revealed that engaged employees are highly energetic, self-efficacious individuals who exercise influence over events that affect their lives,” this can be beneficial not only for the company but also the employee (Bakker, 2014). If employees are willing to go the extra mile and feel satisfied in their work place no matter their position then one may guess their livelihood may be more satisifying as well. If you were happy and enthusiastic about your work that would carry over into your everyday life, and when you feel better about yourself you tend to make better decision in your life.

These choices can lead to healthier lifestyles and more active as well which can lead to less time sick. With less time being sick means you are out of office less and go to the doctor less, a win win for reducing cost in healthcare and increasing productivity in companies. So many illnesses are stress related and a main trigger of stress is work. Since the majority of people work at least at some time in the life it would seem like a great place to start would be in the workplace. The best way to improve the overall health and well-being of a population is promote healthier lifestyles and prevention of stress and illness (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012). A model to back up the support for work engagement is the theory of planned behavior or more importantly perceived behavioral control, where a person believes they have a certain amount of control or influence over their behavior and this is an important element in employee engagement.

When employees feel like they have control over their work and are a part of something bigger they tend to give more. And when an employer gives the same energy back the mutual effect is a bonus for both sides. After reviewing some of the top companies to work for Google is up on top a lot, but why? Maybe it’s they give their employees the freedom to choose when they work, incredible perks and stimulating work environments, and also a say what happens in the company, while these kind of things may not be able to be offered from other companies the point is that they may hold “the future of workplace leadership” (Crowley, 2013).

This type of intervention in the work place could affect the population is such a positive manner. Not only is it studied in health psychology but also in positive psychology, work engagement can be a powerful tool for the future of people’s life quality. “Employees’ own personal resources- such as self as self-esteem and optimism- also contribute to work engagement” so imagine if this influence could start in the work place where almost everyone goes on a daily basis (Association for Psychological Science, 2011). That really is an inspiring thought to think that everyone could enjoy going to work and stop dreading Monday’s, I only hope that more companies will start adapting this type of thinking for society as whole, for we might all benefit in our daily lives as well as a population.

 

References

Association for Psychological Science. (2011, July 20). Work engagement, job satisfaction, and    productivity: They’re a virtuous cycle. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 27, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720142459.htm

Bakker, Arnold. (2014). Work engagement. Retrieved September 26,2014 from             http://www.arnoldbakker.com/workengagement.php

Bakker, Arnold & Leiter, Michael. (2010). Work Engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research. Psychology Press 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2014 from http://www.media.routledgeweb.com/pp/common/sample-chapter/9781841697369.pdf

Crowley, Mark C. (2013, March 21). Not A Happy Accident: How Google Deliberately Designs    Workplace Satisfaction. Fast Company Inc, Mansueto Ventures, LLC 2014. Retrieved  September 28, 2014 from http://www.fastcompany.com/3007268/where-are-they- now/not-happy-accident-how- google-deliberately-designs-workplace-satisfaction

Schneider, F.W., Gruman, J.A., & Coutts, L.M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology:           Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 


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