BEING A COUCH POTATO PUTS ADOLESCENTS AT RISK FOR MENTAL ILLNESS

In the March 10, 2020 edition of the Asheville Citizen Times, An Associated Press aricle quoted Aaron Kandola, a Ph.D. student at University College London's findings that adolescents who are inactive for a large portion of their days during adolecence are at increased risk for depression by age 18. There was a correlation of the amount of activity for more than 4200 adolesents as measured for 10 hours for at least 3 days when they were 12, 14, and 16 years of age. For instance, an additional 60 minutes of inactivity each day at ages 12, 14,and 16 led to an increase in depression scores of 11%, 8% and 10.5% respectively by age 18. In addition, those with high levels of inactivity at these ages had 28% higher depression scores at age 18. Unfortunately, it seems that adolescents are becoming less active. This study does not prove a causal connection of inactivity and risk for depression but the correlation is strong. The study was published in the February 11, 2020 Lancet Psychiatry Journal.

The good news is that even light physical activity seems to protect from depression. So, small changes in adolescents environments with opportunities for movement, can make a difference. Let's get moving!

SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN IF WE ARE IGNORING RACISM, SEXISM AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY.

There was a recent opinion piece in the New York Times regarding the problem of being silent in the face of people being racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. In his TED talk from July, 2014, Clint Smith talks about the danger of silence. He says that we spend so much time on what people are saying we overlook what they are not saying and by doing so, join them in not using our voices to tell the truth about what we see happening. We are thus complicit in their silence.

So, when is silence good and how can we compassionately use our voices to tell the truth? I have blogged about listening without our personal reactions as a way of being emathically connected to those who we are listening to. Listening without our personal reactions is also called "silent listening." One advantage of not reacting to what is being said is that the person speaking is more likely to hear themselves and may be more likely to choose to take responsibility for what they are saying. If we react to those we are listening to, we give them an opportunity to focus on our reaction and not what they are saying. So, does this mean that we should listen to people making racist, sexist and homophobic statements and not react? Yes, because of what I stated above. However, if we are listening without our own reactions and we need to say something, our brains will tell us what to say...really! And importantly, we will say it calmly and with compassion. This can be a powerful way to confront statements that we feel are wrong. However, what about people who are silent about these statements or ideas/beliefs? Well, if they hear you say something about what you believe is true, this can help them to comment on these as well [voice what they believe is true]. I believe that listening without reacting is helpful no matter the circumstances unless the person talking is being verbally abusive or threatening. Then I would walk away or back away. If we can establish and maintain an empathic connection to someone, this can help them to overcome their fears and lonliness. Then they might not have to cope with their fears and lonliness by being racist, etc.

What do you think?

IS COMMUNITY CENTRAL TO WHO WE ARE?

I read an article by Nancy Kaffer from the Detroit Free Press on January 25, 2020. It is partly a review of a tv show called "The Good Place" and partly her reflecting on what is important in life as portrayed in "The Good Place." The premise is that we need to build up points for good behaviors to get to the "good place." Yet another question comes out about what do we owe to each other? Nancy Kaffer wonders if we owe each other "radical inclusion" that says every human life holds equal value, and that we need to practice radical empathy as Grace Lee Boggs [an author, social activist, philosopher and feminist] challenges all of us to ask what it means to be a more human, human being. 

Kaffer then reflects on how it can be difficult to be good as we are more aware of the unwanted consequences of our good decisions that end up reinforcing negative outcomes like income inequality and racism. She discusses a drop in attendance at churches but now a growing awareness of the importance of "community" in defining our obligation [relationship] to each other and that "proximity" helps us to see the humanity in those we might otherwise see as "other." Finally, Kaffer refers to an unnamed activist who recommends that we "love our neighbor as we love ourselves." A shift from "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" as it might be that to love others we need to love our selves. This loving ourselves might allow us to be able to live empathically as we recognize each other's "essential humanity," regardless of our skin color or country of origin, so that we can see others as fully human as we see ourselves.

So, is it important to us homo sapiens sapiens that we feel part of a community and does that require that we allow ourselves to be close enough to others to see them as just like we are [humans] and then be open to loving them as our neighbors and as we love ourselves? Would we then automatically include all others into our community and feel an empathic connection to them? What do you think?

QUESTION, PERSUADE AND REFER [QPR] PEOPLE WHO ARE SUICIDAL

With the rate of suicides in the United States as of 2015 [from the CDC, 2017] at 13.26 suicides per 100,000, there have been programs developed to help identify and get help for people who are suicidal. Many programs are focused on training gatekeepers [people who are likely to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be thinking about suicide]. The QPR [Question, Persuade and Refer] program is an hour long gate keeper training program that according to the QPR Institute [www.qprinstitute.com] has trained more than a million people to be gate keepers. It is the largest program that trains "gatekeepers" who can then directly question people who are contemplating suicide and persuade them to seek help and then refer them to places that will help them. 

It is hopeful that programs like QPR are available to identify and help people who are contemplating killing themselves. This program reinforces the importance of talking with people that you are concerned about, asking if they are having suicidal thoughts and plans and being willing to listen without our own reactions, to those who are suffering. Then encouraging those people to seek help. I believe that our listening to others who are suffering gives them hope as they realize that they are not alone. What do you think?

WE REALLY DO NEED EACH OTHER

The recent Beta Theta Pi magazine has an article about preventing suicide and refers to a Harvard study [The Harvard Study of Adult Development] and comments from the study's fourth director Robert Waldinger, M.D. [who is  a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School] who concludes that friendships and relationships in general are highly correlated with happiness and contentment with one's life. Since 1938 Harvard researchers have studied 724 men for 79 years. They found that if one is to do well in their life they need to have close ties to their family, friends and community. These close relationships also seem to have significant impact on overall health. With close relationships there was more happiness and these men were healthier and even lived longer. The researchers concluded that lonliness was toxic. Unfortunately, frequently more than one in five Americans say that they are lonely. This self-report of lonliness is what is coorelated with poor health as well as feeling unhappy. Further emphazing the importance of close relationships is the fact that the quality of relationships at age 50 is what predicted health at age 80. Also, having a close relationship in your 80's will protect you from cognitive decline. The ability to count on your partner was what seemed to be very important and this applied to work relationships between employees and their supervisors as well. So, prioritize relationships and seek close connections to others. It could be the answer to long life and happiness.

What do you think?