Mental Health Series Todays topic: The Principles of Happiness - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
child & youth Mental Health Series Todays topic: The Principles of Happiness Scientific Evidence and Practical Advice Speaker: Dr. Clare Gray MD FRCPC deswe Date January 17, 2019 If you are connected by videoconference: Please
deswe
Date January 17, 2019
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At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to:
Describe the scientific evidence supporting the field of positive psychology Understand the principles of happiness Implement practical exercises with patients to help improve their emotional well being and happiness
What is the field of Positive Psychology all about? What is happiness? Benefits of happiness Barriers to happiness Principles of happiness
Gratitude Kindness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qJvS8v0TTI
Martin Seligman PhD – described core philosophy as a “Build what’s strong” approach that can augment the “fix what’s wrong” approach of more traditional psychotherapy George Vaillant MD – a way to encourage patients to focus on positive emotions and build strengths – supplementing psychotherapy that focuses on negative emotions like anger and sadness
Typical approach for dealing with mental illness is to wait until a person shows signs of a disorder, then provide treatment This is like waiting until your car isn’t working before taking it to the garage But in the same way a lot of car troubles can be avoided through regular maintenance, positive psychology proposes that by proactively taking care of one’s mental health, mental illness can be prevented, or at least lessened
Positive psychology is positive thinking
Positive psychology does try to understand the role of positive emotions in well-being But happy thoughts are only part of it – concepts like meaning in life and positive relationships are more important for a life well lived identifying and celebrating what makes life worthwhile, productive and fulfilling
Positive psychology means ignoring negative emotions
Positive psychology points a spotlight on the positive side of
balanced view of human functioning
Study of optimal human functioning “Build what’s strong” rather than “Fix what’s wrong.” Mental health/wellness ≠ Absence of misery Understanding happiness and how to increase it Getting us above baseline, not back to baseline
Sonja Lyubomirsky PhD
“The experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”
Martin Seligman PhD
Layers of Happiness
Positive emotions Engagement Meaning
Authentic Happiness Inventory General Happiness Scale Satisfaction with Life Scale Subjective Happiness Scale Optimism Scale Gratitude Survey Grit Scale VIA Strengths Test Brief Strengths Test PERMA Questionnaire Meaning in Life Questionnaire
Authentic Happiness Inventory General Happiness Scale Satisfaction with Life Scale Subjective Happiness Scale Optimism Scale Gratitude Survey Grit Scale VIA Strengths Test Brief Strengths Test PERMA Questionnaire Meaning in Life Questionnaire
Subjective Happiness Scale For each of the following statements and/or questions, please circle the point on the scale that you feel is most appropriate in describing you.
not a very happy person 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a very happy person
less happy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 more happy
not at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a great deal
they might be. To what extent does this characterization describe you? not at all 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a great deal
To score – find average score (reverse question 4) Highest score is 7 Average score 4.5 to 5.5 Scores less than 4, merit a depression screen
Danner and Snowden (2001)
Between 1931 and 1943 Nuns entering convents in Milwaukee and Baltimore 180 brief autobiographical statements Rated “language positivity”, into quartiles
“I was born in 1909, the eldest of seven children. My candidate year was spent in the motherhouse, teaching
sanctification.”
“I was born in 1909, the eldest of seven children. My candidate year was spent in the motherhouse, teaching
sanctification.” “God started my life off well by bestowing upon me a grace of inestimable value. The past year which I have spent as a candidate studying at Notre Dame College has been a very happy one. Now I look forward with eager joy to receiving the Holy habit of Our Lady and to a life of union with Love Divine.”
Those in top quartile in terms of positive language lived an average of 10 years longer than lowest quartile >50% of most cheerful nuns were still alive at 93 years vs 18% of those in the least cheerful group
Lawrence, Rogers, Wadsworth (2015)
GSS-NDI dataset (general social survey national death index) Very happy (31.4%) pretty happy (56.9%) not too happy (11.6%) Compared to those who are very happy, those who are pretty happy have 7% higher risk of death and those who are not happy are 21% more likely to die over the follow up period (1978 to 2008) even after controlling for demographics, SES, lifestyle factors Happy people live longer
Harker and Keltner (2001)
Examined 141 year book photos from Mills college Women already enrolled in a long term study examining major events in their lives Assessed at ages 27, 43 and 52 Smiles were rated as being Duchenne smiles or not
Duchenne
zygomatic major (raising the corners of the mouth) orbicularis oculi (raising the cheeks enough to produce crow’s feet around the eyes).
Non-Duchenne
the “Say Cheese” smile only contract the zygomatic major
Our brain controls these two types of smiles
the Duchenne smile is controlled by the limbic system (the emotional part of our brain) Non-Duchenne smile is controlled by the motor cortex
Women whose smiles were rated highest (most Duchenne-like)
More likely to be married Marriages more likely to be described as satisfactory Scored higher in overall life satisfaction and ability to handle stress Controlling for physical attractiveness All this remained true even after decades had passed
Ernest Abel and Michael Kruger (2009)
230 photographs where player was looking at the camera from the Baseball Register 1952, annual collection of baseball statistics/photos Photos coded as being
no smile partial smile (zygomatic major) full (Duchenne) smile (zygomatic major and orbicularis oculi)
Longevity based on smiles –
46 still alive at time of study/full data on 196 of 230 players No smile 72.9 years (n=63) Partial smile 75 years (n= 64) Duchenne smile 79.9 years (n = 23)
Still statistically significant when controlling for college attendance, marital status, birth year, career length, age at debut year and BMI
Photo represents only a moment in a person’s life But it can provide valuable clues about the relative cheerfulness and level of happiness of the person being photographed
Meta analysis Lyubomirsky & Diener (2005) Psychological
Increased life satisfaction Lower rates of depression and anxiety Increased resiliency Openness to new experiences Better self regulation and ability to cope Increased self confidence
Physical:
Increased longevity Improved physical health More energy Better coping with chronic illness
Life:
Greater productivity More satisfying and longer marriages Richer social interactions Lower absenteeism
another
have some control over your own happiness
Focusing on the 10% -- Circumstances How many times have you thought “I’ll be happy when I …… “
Changing our circumstances is often the first place we look in order to become happier
Earn more money Enter into a relationship Have children Buy a house Buy a bigger house!
Makes us a little bit happier for a short time
annual income reaches $75K (Kahneman, 2010)
certainly not the most important factor
The observed tendency for people to return to their baseline level of happiness soon after a significant life event or change in their circumstances People often fantasize about buying a dream holiday home, getting a new car or winning the lottery However, when we get the new car or home we find that the boost to happiness is short lived and we are back to
Even people who win the lottery only have a brief uplift in their happiness
Focusing on the 10% Daniel Kahneman (1998) “People are exposed to many messages that encourage them to believe that a change of weight, scent, hair color (or coverage), car, clothes or many other aspects will produce a marked improvement in their happiness. Our research suggests a moral and a warning: Nothing that you focus on will make as much difference as you think”
Twin studies show that happiness levels among MZ twins remained closely correlated even when raised in drastically different environments De Neve et al (2013)
Estimated heritability of subjective well-being at 33% (1/3
attributed to genetic influences) MZ twins are significantly more similar in their level of happiness than DZ twins
Need to remember the human brain is wired for survival, not necessarily to feel happy Brain is highly attuned to threats or danger – to focus on the negative rather than the positive
Brain has a built in “negativity bias”
We remember bad outcomes more easily than good ones Negative events impact us much more easily than positive
Some studies indicate that we need to experience about 5 positive events to overcome impact of one single negative event
Gratitude Kindness Forgiveness Self compassion Optimism Mindfulness Connection
Gratitude Kindness Forgiveness Self compassion Optimism Mindfulness Connection
“a sense of wonder, thankfulness and appreciation for life” 2 parts –
Acknowledging the goodness present in our lives Recognizing the source of the goodness lies at least partially
Can be external (thanking someone) or internal (reflecting on good aspects of our life)
Emmons and McCullough (2003) 10 week study, 3 groups One group – wrote about 5 things they were grateful for that had occurred during the past week Second group wrote about 5 hassles or stressful things in the past week Third group wrote about 5 events that had occurred in the past week (positive or negative)
Those in the gratitude group reported
Fewer physical complaints Felt better about their lives More optimistic Exercised more (90 minutes/week more) Sleep improved (decreased sleep onset, feeling more refreshed in the morning)
Seligman (2005) Participants wrote down 3 good things that went well each day and their causes every night for one week At one month follow up, participants were
happier and less depressed than at baseline And stayed happier and less depressed at 3mo and 6 mo
Wong, Owen, Gabana & Gilman (2015): Adults & college students receiving mental health counseling (for depression/anxiety) Group 1: Write 1 letter of gratitude to another person weekly for 3 weeks Group 2: Write about their deepest thoughts and feelings about stressful experiences Group 3: No writing activity
Results
Group 1 reported significantly better mental health than the
and again 3 months after
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMd1CcGZYwU
People who are grateful report
Lower levels of depression Improved physical health More meaningful personal relationships Are more compassionate and forgiving
Gratitude counteracts hedonic adaptation allowing individuals to remain content long after a happy event
Three Good Things The Gratitude Journal Gratitude Letter and visit
Each night for the next 2 weeks before you go to bed, please write down 3 things that went well for you that day These good things can be relatively small or minor
significance to you Below each positive event that you list, write down an answer to the question “why did this good thing happen? Or “what was my contribution to this good thing?” The “good things” you come up with don’t have to be earth shattering or groundbreaking. They can even be the small things that we often overlook or are too busy to notice Important to focus on things that went well on that day rather than things you feel generally thankful for
A weekly exercise Designed to bring more awareness to some of the more stable, overarching sources of gratitude in our lives Reflect back over the past week, write down 5 things for which you feel grateful or thankful Things such as your health, where you live, who you work with!
Write a letter of thanks to someone important in your life Someone who has helped you along the way but whom you have never properly thanked Write a detailed letter of gratitude towards this person, how their kindness impacted your life Set up a meeting with this person and share the letter with them
“it’s better to give than to receive” Kindness leads to
increased happiness levels Greater sense of meaning and purpose Decreased rates of stress and mental illness (Schwartz, 2003)
Chicken vs egg?
Lyubomirsky, 2007 Participants asked to perform 5 acts of kindness one day per week x 6 weeks Participants reported significant increases in overall happiness Musick, 2003 Kindness behaviours strongly linked to improvements in depressive symptoms
Post, 2007 Teens who engage in generous/kind behaviours
Reduced risk for depression Significantly lower risk for suicide Far less likely to fail subjects in school, become pregnant, abuse substances Have higher levels of self esteem More socially competent
Five Acts of Kindness
Over the next week, choose a single day of the week to serve as your “kindness day” Perform 5 acts of kindness for others on that day Repeat for at least 4 weeks
Better to give than to receive?
Choose 2 activities – one just for your fun and one for the benefit of another individual Compare how you feel after each activity
Volunteering for a cause Recalling Kindness Gift of time
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