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Mind & Body Medicine:
A Relaxed Attitude
| Course Number |
LWH300
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| Objectives |
At the end of this course, you will
explain 1. understand the nature of the mind and emotions, 2. counteract
the diseases of the body, 3. explore mind therapy , and 4.
apply selected body therapy. |
| Credit Hours and Fee |
3.0 CE Credit Hours with a fee of $24.00 |
| Instructor |
Rudolf Klimes, PhD (Indiana University), MPH
(Johns Hopkins University);
Adjunct Professor at Folsom Lake
College, Folsom CA. |
Welcome
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| Mind & Emotions |
Body & Disease |
Mind Therapy |
Body Therapy
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"The mind steadfastly refuses to behave
locally, as contemporary scientific evidence is beginning to show. We now
know, for example, that brain like tissue is found throughout the body....
So, even from the conservative perspective of modern neurochemistry, it is
difficult if not impossible to follow a strictly local view of the brain."
Larry Dossey, MD
Mind/body medicine is based on the recognition of the relationship
between mind and body, the body's innate healing potential, and the
partnership of patient and healer in restoring the body to health.
Mind/body medicine is an approach to healing that uses the power of thoughts
and emotions to influence physical health. As Hippocrates once wrote, "The
natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting
well." This is the essence of mind/body medicine.
While phrases such as "mind over matter" have been around for years, only
recently have scientists found solid evidence that mind-body techniques actually
do combat disease and promote health. In 1989, a landmark study by David
Spiegel, M.D. at Stanford University School of Medicine dramatically
demonstrated the power of the mind to heal. Of 86 women with late-stage breast
cancer, half received standard medical care while the other half received the
standard care plus weekly support sessions in which the women were able to share
both their grief and their triumphs. Spiegel discovered that the women who
participated in the social support group lived twice as long as the women who
did not.
Source:
http://www.metagenics.com/resources/imc/OneMedicineCons/ConsModalities/MindBodyMedicinecm.html
"A relaxed attitude lengthens life, jealousy rots it away."
Proverbs 14:13, NLT
Mind and Body Medicine is the subject of the Mind/Body Medical Institute:
The Mind/Body Medical
Institute is a non-profit scientific and educational
organization dedicated to the study of mind/body interactions,
including the relaxation response. The Institute will use its
expertise to enhance the recognition and understanding of
mind/body medicine's role in the practice of medicine, to foster
and expand the uses of mind/ body interactions in healthcare and
other appropriate settings, and thereby, to advance health and
well-being throughout the world. It accomplishes these
objectives in a variety of ways, including:
- documenting and furthering the understanding of the
scientific bases of mind/body medicine, including the role
of belief, and exploring their uses by conducting basic and
clinical research, both independently and collaboratively,
- disseminating its knowledge and experience and the
results of its findings through medical and general
publications, lectures, symposia, continuing medical
education programs and other appropriate media,
- quantifying the benefits and costs of mind/body
programs,
- teaching medical students and training post-doctoral
fellows and other researchers,
- training health care and other professionals and helping
them integrate mind/body interactions into their work, and
- fostering the establishment of clinical and research
programs in institutions that provide health care.
- Source:
http://www.mbmi.org/
Explore
an overview of the Mind/body Connection at
http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1949
Note: The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind.
Thus it may not be possible to clearly divide Mind and Body
Medicine into mind therapy and body therapy. There is an overlap that makes it at
times difficult. Thus the areas should be seen as a general aid for the
presentation rather than a definite taxonomy.
1. Mind and Emotions
1.1 Positive Emotions and Feelings: joy, interest, contentment, optimism, love, serenity,
enthusiasm, laughter, empathy, action, curiosity, etc.
http://www.journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html
http://www.mindpub.com/art399.htm
1.2 Negative Emotions and Feelings: anger, fear, anxiety, alienation, hopelessness,
apathy, grief, hatred, shame, blame, regret, resentment, hostility, etc.
Emotions Anonymous has been known to work miracles in the lives of many who
suffer from problems as diverse as depression, anger, broken or strained
relationships, grief, anxiety, low self-esteem, panic, abnormal fears,
resentment, jealousy, guilt, despair, fatigue, tension, boredom, loneliness,
withdrawal, obsessive and negative thinking, worry, compulsive behavior and
a variety of other emotional issues. http://www.emotionsanonymous.org/
1.3 Emotions and Disease.
This story begins as did so many other components of our culture, in Greek
and Roman antiquity where medicine first emerged as a secular activity
independent of religion. There Hippocrates (ca. 460 B.C.Bca. 370 B.C.) and his
followers combined naturalistic craft knowledge with ancient science and
philosophy to produce the first systematic explanations of the behavior of the
human body in health and illness. Distant ancestors of modern biomedical
scientists began to explore the solid and fluid parts of the human organism for
keys to unlock the hidden mechanisms of disease. They made the first attempts to
understand emotions as mental phenomena which had surprising and complex
connections to physiological order and pathological disorder.
Early Western physicians recognized that emotions were of essential
significance; however their medical systems were actually weighted more heavily
on the body side of the mind-body balance. The dominant theory of Hippocrates
and his successors was that of the four "humors": black bile, yellow bile,
phlegm, and blood. When these humors were in balance, health prevailed; when
they were out of balance or vitiated in some way, disease took over. The goal of
an individual's personal hygiene was to keep the humors in balance, and the goal
of medical therapy was to restore humoral equilibrium by adjusting diet,
exercise, and the management of the body's evacuations (e.g.: the blood, urine,
feces, perspiration, etc.). The bedside scene from Walter Ryff's Spiegel und
Regiment and the diagram from Johannes de Ketham's Fasciculus Medicinae,
although both from later periods, clearly illustrate these classical themes.
Source: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/emotions/balance.html
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1.4
Coping with Negative emotions
Negative Emotions can be described as any feeling
which causes you to be miserable and sad. These emotions
make you dislike yourself and others, and take away your
confidence.
Emotions which can become negative are hate, anger,
jealousy and sadness. Yet, in the right context, these
feelings are completely natural. Negative emotions can
dampen our enthusiasm for life, depending on how long we
let them affect us and the way we choose to express
them.
Holding onto negative emotions causes a downward
spiral
Negative emotions stop us from thinking and behaving
rationally and seeing situations in their true
perspective. When this occurs, we tend to see only we
want to see and remember only what we want to remember.
This only prolongs the anger or grief and prevents us
from enjoying life.
The longer this goes on, the more entrenched the problem
becomes. Dealing with negative emotions inappropriately
can also be harmful - for example, expressing anger with
violence.
Emotions are complex reactions
Emotions are psychological (what we think) and
biological (what we feel). Our brain responds to our
thoughts by releasing hormones and chemicals which send
us into a state of arousal. All emotions come about in
this way, whether positive or negative.
It is a complex process and often we don't have the
skills to deal with negative feelings. That's why we
find it hard to cope when we experience them.
How to deal with negative emotions
There are a number of coping strategies to deal with
negative emotions. These include:
- Don't blow things out of proportion by going
over them time and again in your mind.
- Try to be reasonable - accept that bad feelings
are occasionally unavoidable and think of ways to
make yourself feel better.
- Relax - use pleasant activities like reading,
walking or talking to a friend.
- Learn - notice how grief, loss and anger make
you feel and which events trigger those feelings so
you can prepare in advance.
- Exercise - aerobic activity lowers your level of
stress chemicals and allows you to cope better with
negative emotions.
- Let go of the past - constantly going over
negative events robs you of the present and makes
you feel bad.
Source:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Negative_emotions_coping_tips?open
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2. Body and Disease
2.1 Diseases of the heart, blood vessels, gut,
immune system, etc
2.2 Stress reactions via the hypothelmus (CRH), pituarity glands (ACTH) and
the adrenal glands (cortisol and epinephrine)
2.3 The stress response via mind or body real or imagined stimulation
raises blood pressure, pulse, breathing rate and muscle tension.
www.learnwell.org/stress.htm
2.4 The relaxation response lowers blood pressure, pulse, breathing rate
and muscle tension.
www.learnwell.org/relax.htm
| 2.5 Mind/Body Communication Our thoughts and feelings influence the body via two
kinds of mechanisms: the nervous system and the
circulatory system. These are the pathways of
communication between the brain and the rest of the
body.
The brain reaches into the body via the nervous
system. This allows it to send nerve impulses into
all the body's tissues and influence their behavior.
The brain can thus affect the behavior of the immune
system with its nerve endings extending into the
bone marrow (the birthplace of all white cells), the
thymus, the spleen, and the lymph nodes.
It also reaches into all the glands of the
endocrine system, all the bones, muscles, all the
internal organs, and even the walls of veins and
arteries. It can influence the behavior of the heart
with its nerves penetrating the heart tissue,
affecting heart rate and other aspects of the
heart's functioning. The entire body is literally
"wired" by the brain.
The brain is also a gland. It manufactures
thousands of different kinds of chemicals and
releases them into the bloodstream. These chemicals
circulate throughout the body and influence the
activity and behavior of all the body's tissues. The
brain could be described as the ultimate apothecary,
producing many more drugs than science has ever
invented.
The cells of the body have receptors on their
surfaces that function somewhat like satellite
dishes. These receptors receive the chemical
messages being released by the brain and respond
accordingly.
Finally, the mind/body connection is a two-way
street. In addition to sending messages into the
body's tissues, it also receives feedback, both in
the form of nerve impulses and its own receptors
that sense what chemicals are being released by
other tissues in the body.
Research into how the brain can influence immune
responses has given rise to the new field called
psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI). Findings in this
field have brought great hope to people dealing with
such difficult illnesses as cancer, AIDS, CFIDS
(chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome), and
other immune-related diseases.
It is only a matter of time before similar
acronyms are defined for other fields such as
psycho-neuro-cardiology (PNC), the study of the
mind-heart connection, or psycho-neuro-hematology (PNH),
the study of how the mind can influence bloodrelated
disorders, such as clotting problems in hemophilia.
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Source:
http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1949
3: Mind Therapy
3.1 Spiritual: Prayer, meditation, spirituality, music, humor, cheerfulness, biblio-therapy,
forgiveness.
www.learnwell.org/spirit.htm
www.learnwell.org/laugh.htm
www.learnwell.org/biblio.htm
www.forgiver.net
3.2 Positives: Guided imagery and visualization, positivism, cognitive behavioral
therapy, journaling.
www.learnwell.org/healthscript.htm
3.3 Eastern: Mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, qigong.
Yoga: Effect on Attention in Aging & Multiple Sclerosis,
Purpose
Changes in visual attention are common among elders and people with multiple
sclerosis. The visual attention changes contribute to difficulty with day to
day functioning including falls, driving and even finding one's keys on the
kitchen counter as well as contributing to deficits in other cognitive
domains. Yoga emphasizes the ability to focus attention and there is some
evidence that the practice of yoga may improve one's cognitive abilities.
Additionally, yoga practice may improve cognitive function through other
non-specific means such as improved mood, decreased stress or declines in
oxidative injury. We propose a randomized, controlled 6 month phase II trial
of yoga in two separate cohorts: healthy elders and subjects with mild
multiple sclerosis. We will determine if yoga intervention produces
improvements on a broad attentional battery that especially emphasizes
attentional control. To further understand the reported beneficial effect of
yoga on its practitioners, we will also determine if there is a positive
impact on measures directly related to yoga practice (flexibility and
balance) as well as mood, quality of life and oxidative injury markers. The
yoga intervention consists of a Hatha yoga class meeting twice per week. The
class is taught by experienced yoga teachers who are supervised by a
nationally known yoga instructor. There are two control groups. An exercise
group will have a structured walking program prescribed by a certified
Health and Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. The program will attempt
to match the Hatha yoga class for metabolic demand. The second control group
will be assigned to a 6 month waiting list. The outcome measures are
assessed at baseline and after the 6 month period. The primary outcome
measures are alertness (quantitative EEG and self-rated scale), ability to
focus attention (Stroop) and ability to shift attention (extradimensional
set shifting task). Secondary attention outcome measures include the ability
to sustain attention (decrement in reaction time) and ability to divide
attention (Useful Field of View). Other secondary outcome measures include
flexibility, balance, mood, quality of life, fatigue (in MS cohort) and
decreased markers of lipid, protein, and DNA oxidative injury.
Source:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00010998
3.4 Social: Relationships, support groups, talk therapy, connections, friendships.
www.learnwell.org/healingtalk.htm
3.5 Mind-Body Interventions for Gastrointestinal
Conditions
The objective of this evidence report was to search the literature on the use
of mind-body therapies for the treatment of health conditions and, on the basis
of this search, to choose either a condition or mind-body modality for a
comprehensive review.
A broad search of mind-body therapies showed that there were sufficient
studies regarding their use for gastrointestinal (GI) conditions to warrant a
detailed review. GI conditions pose a significant health problem, and they can
be challenging to manage. They also have been the focus of mind-body
interventions, including:
- Behavioral therapy.
- Biofeedback.
- Cognitive therapy.
- Guided imagery.
- Hypnosis.
- Meditation.
- Placebo therapy used as an intervention.
- Relaxation therapy.
- Multimodal therapy.
However, no studies of meditation were found that used a comparative
treatment design. Therefore, this report reviews the use of behavioral therapy,
biofeedback, cognitive therapy, guided imagery, hypnosis, placebo therapy,
relaxation therapy, and multimodal therapy for the treatment of GI conditions.
Findings
- The five most common body systems/conditions for which mind-body therapy
literature was found are: neuropsychiatric; head/ear, nose, and throat
(head/ENT); GI; circulatory; and musculoskeletal.
- The trials that exist on GI conditions are seriously limited by methods
problems (small sample sizes, lack of randomization, and clinical
heterogeneity).
- The greatest number of trials of a mind-body therapy for GI conditions
in trials was biofeedback (n=17).
- There are fewer controlled trials in the GI studies that assess other
mind-body therapies: hypnosis (n=8), relaxation (n=8), behavioral therapy
(n=8), multimodal therapy (n=4), cognitive therapy (n=4), imagery (n=2), and
placebo (n=1).
- The most commonly studied GI conditions were irritable bowel syndrome
(n=15), fecal incontinence/encopresis (n=11), constipation (n=10), vomiting
(n=8), nausea (n=7), and abdominal pain (n = 5).
- There is no evidence to support the efficacy of biofeedback therapy for
children.
- There is limited evidence (i.e., at least one trial whose quality score
characterized it as "good" that reported statistically significant benefits
and the majority of other studies also report statistically significant
benefits) to support the efficacy of the following mind-body therapies:
- Behavioral.
- Cognitive.
- Guided imagery.
- Relaxation.
- The methodological shortcomings of studies reporting beneficial effects
of hypnosis preclude drawing conclusions about its efficacy.
- Results are mixed regarding the use of biofeedback in adults.
Source: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/mindsum.htm
4. Body Therapy
4.1 Lungs: Deep breathing, sighing,
4.2 Muscles: Progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, exercise
4.3 Relaxation and Chronic Pain by Richard W. Hanson,
Ph.D.
The A-B-C-D model shows one important aspect of self-management
is learning how to reduce the distressing feelings which can arise in response
to chronic pain and stress. This refers to doing something about the "C"
component in the A-B-C-D model. Examples of these distressing feelings include
frustration, anger, resentment, irritability, sadness, discouragement, guilt,
anxiety, worry, fear, and general unhappiness. All of these distressing feelings
compound the problem of chronic pain by adding to one's general suffering and
misery.
One set of very useful tools to increase your ability to self-manage both
chronic pain and the distressing feelings arising from stress is relaxation.
Three major types of relaxation can be distinguished: Coping relaxation,
time-out relaxation, and relaxing activities.
Coping Relaxation
This type of relaxation is aimed at helping you to cope more effectively with
stressful situations, emotional upsets, and intense pain episodes. It can be
used anywhere and at any time that you experience physical or emotional
distress. It is accomplished by using a simple, but powerful technique called
the SIGNAL BREATH.
How to do the Signal Breath
The signal breath is aimed at giving you an immediate experience of
relaxation. It is accomplished by creating a slight increase in tension (using
your breath), and then letting the tension go (by breathing out).
1. Take in a deep breath and hold it in for a few moments. If a deep
inhalation is painful for you, modify it so it is not painful. Also, don't hold
it too long. About 3 or 4 seconds is usually long enough.
2. Exhale slowly while at the same time saying to yourself mentally calming
words such as "relax," "let go," "easy does it," or any other words that suggest
letting go of tension.
3. Also, while you are exhaling, try to let your jaws, shoulders, and arms go
loose and limp.
What to Ask Yourself Immediately After Doing the Signal Breath
Immediately after using the signal breath (or series of signal breaths), you
should pause briefly to reflect on the situation (i.e., Stop and Think).
This may involve asking yourself some important questions. For example, if you
are in the middle of a stressful situation and are emotional upset, you can ask
yourself:
1. What emotions am I feeling right now?
2. What is it about this situation that has triggered these upset
feelings?
3. Am I seeing this situation clearly or am I distorting it?
4. What is the smartest and wisest thing that I can do right now
to manage this situation? Notice, the question should not be, "What do I
feel like doing?" What you feel like doing may get you into more
trouble.
5. Can I do anything right now to constructively change the stressful
situation, or do I need to regroup emotionally and deal with it at another
time after I have had a chance to think it through?
If you are in the middle of a chronic pain flare-up, you can ask yourself:
1. Can I identify the immediate cause or trigger for this intense pain?
(e.g., Did I overdo it physically?)
2. Is there anything I can learn from this pain flare-up?
3. What constructive actions (physical and/or mental) can I take right
now that will help me to decrease the pain intensity, or at least get
through this temporary episode until it eases up?
Whenever you link the signal breath to this "stop and think" process, you are
actually increasing your awareness of the situation in a present-centered,
here-and-now manner. The signal breath is not meant to directly solve the
problem, whether it be emotional distress or intense pain. Rather, you can use
the breath to bring wise attention to the situation you are
experiencing. With wise attention you are able to see the situation and your
reactions to it from a center of calmness and inner stability. Rather than
simply reacting to stressful situations and pain in an automatic manner, the
signal breath is aimed at helping you to think more clearly. This will enable
you to respond to the situation more wisely and effectively.
Your ability to do this form of coping relaxation (signal
breath) and make effective use of it, will increase significantly to the extent
that you also learn and regularly practice time-out relaxation.
Time-Out Relaxation
This type of relaxation requires you to take time out from your regular
activities and spend time (e.g., 5 to 30 minutes) doing a special relaxation
exercise or meditation. It requires that you first find a quiet place where you
won't be disturbed so you can devote your full attention to relaxing your mind
and body as deeply as possible. Once you find a quiet place, it is important to
get your body into a relaxed and comfortable position that will not result in
physical strain. Time-out relaxation then involves directing your mind in a
passive and non-effortful manner to particular objects, physical or mental,
which are conducive to deep relaxation. Physical objects of relaxation may
involve focusing on a visual object (e.g., a pretty picture or photograph, a
flower, a burning candle, or even just a spot on the wall) or sounds (e.g., the
sound of ocean waves, gentle rain, wind chimes, relaxing music, etc.). Mental
objects of relaxation include particular thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and
mental images that you find relaxing.
Examples of special time out relaxation procedures used in our program
include focused breathing awareness, progressive muscle relaxation, passive body
scan, relaxing mental imagery, environmental focus (sounds or visual objects),
and self-hypnosis exercises.
Mindfulness meditation is
another useful and potentially powerful technique aimed at increasing your
awareness of the present moment. This method involves being fully aware of
whatever sensations or thoughts that pass through your conscious mind without
trying to judge them or resist them in any way.
Benefits of Time-Out Relaxation
Time-out relaxation can help you to cope with chronic pain in several ways:
1. Relaxing tense muscles. Muscle tension resulting from the pain
itself or from emotional stress often increases painful sensations. Therefore,
relaxation reduces the amount of pain that is directly caused by tense muscles.
2. Attention diversion relaxation exercises require you to direct your
attention to pleasant sensations, thoughts and images. Although you still may
feel the pain to some extent, you cannot be fully attentive to your pain and at
the same time direct your attention to relaxing thoughts and sensations. Thus,
by occupying your attention with something else, relaxation reduces the amount
of pain you experience.
3. Increased awareness of tension. Many individuals are tense without
being aware of it. Also some people may think they are relaxed when they
actually are not. By practicing time out relaxation and experiencing what it
feels like to really let go and become deeply relaxed you are also learning to
become more aware of your own subtle signs of physical and mental tension. By
becoming more aware of tension throughout the day you can learn to use those
signs of tension as cues or reminders to use coping relaxation.
4. Help with sleep problems. Many people with chronic pain have
difficulties with sleep. Consequently, you may find it harder to cope with pain
when you are tired. Time-out relaxation can help you by making it easier to fall
asleep or by serving as a restful substitute for sleep.
5. Gain a new perspective on pain. At a deeper level, time-out
relaxation in the form of mindfulness meditation, can help you understand and
relate to your pain in a different way. Rather than automatically fighting and
reacting against pain in a manner that increases tension, emotional distress and
suffering, you can actually learn to work with the pain. While most of you
would prefer to ignore or distract yourself from pain, you also know that there
are times when this does not work. From a center of calmness and inner
stability which comes from mindfulness meditation techniques (such as the
passive body scan), you can observe the ebb and flow of physical/sensory
messages passing through your mind/brain system. These sensory messages may or
may not be labeled as pain, and they may or may not convey useful information
from your body. As you learn to watch these physical sensations, as well as
your thoughts about these sensations, in a more calm and non-reactive manner,
you can understand and respond to them in a more detached and appropriate
manner. As discussed in Dr. Kabat-Zinn's book on mindfulness meditation (see
list of recommended readings), "your pain is not you." Rather than completely
identifying yourself with chronic pain and disability, you can see yourself as a
whole person who also happens to have a chronic pain condition. Rather than
allowing that condition to dominate your life, you are learning to handle and
respond to it in a wise and intelligent manner.
Source:
http://www.long-beach.med.va.gov/Our_Services/Patient_Care/cpmpbook/cpmp-9.html
5. Other
Resources
5.1 NIH Research
The Public Health Service has documented that many of the leading causes of
morbidity and mortality in the U.S. are attributable to social, behavioral, and
lifestyle factors (e.g., tobacco use, lack of exercise, poor diet, and drug and
alcohol abuse). Numerous studies have also documented that psychological stress
is linked to a variety of health outcomes, and researchers and public health
officials are becoming increasingly interested in understanding the nature of
this relationship. Research has shown, for example, that psychological stress
can contribute to increased heart disease and decreased immune system
functioning. Other research has emonstrated that cognitions (attitudes, beliefs
values), social support, prayer, and meditation can reduce psychological stress
and contribute to positive health outcomes. Consequently, over the past decade
the National Institutes of Health have increased efforts to encourage and
support health and behavior research (e.g., Innovative Approaches to Disease
Prevention Through Behavior Change, NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts, October
24, 1997; Maintenance of Behavioral Change, NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts,
January 15, 2003). Mind-body research is viewed as one component of health and
behavior research. In 1999, using funds especially appropriated by Congress to
the OBSSR, the NIH issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for Centers for
Mind-Body Interactions and Health
(OD-99-005) and subsequently awarded five P50 Center Grants (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/RFA_PAs/MindBody/mbpage.htm).
On January 9 2003, NIH issued two related RFAs on Mind-Body Interactions and
Health: Research Infrastructure Program (OB-03-004)(see
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OB-03-004.html) and
Mind-Body Interactions and Health: Exploratory/developmental Research Program
(OB-03-005) (see
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OB-03-005.html).
During approximately the same time period, the NIH has commissioned a series of
reports from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, such
as "New Horizons in Health: An Integrative Approach" (National Academy
Press, 2001) and "Health and Behavior: The Interplay of Biological,
Behavioral, and Societal Influences (National Academy Press, 2001). These
reports include calls for expansion of interdisciplinary health research on
mind-body topics. (See summary of recommendations at
http://obssr.od.nih.gov/Publications/NRC-Reports.htm
Research Topics
Three areas of research are emphasized. In addition, special importance is given
to mind-body research in diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status
populations (e.g., cultural beliefs regarding health; perceived racism and
health; distrust of health care systems and health care utilization, perceived
disability and health). The formation of multidisciplinary teams to perform the
research of this initiative is viewed as essential.
1) The first area of emphasis is the effect of cognitions or personality (e.g.,
beliefs, attitudes, and values; modes of thinking) and of emotions on physical
health. Included is research on social, psychological, behavioral, affective,
and biological factors mediating these effects. What are the physiological,
behavioral, and social
pathways by which beliefs, attitudes, and values or particular stress-management
interventions affect health? How do emotions, personality, and cognitions
interact to affect health?
2) The second emphasis is on determinants or antecedents of health-related
cognitions (beliefs, attitudes, or values; modes of thinking; decision-making
styles). That is, given that some beliefs and attitudes have been shown to
affect health, how are these beliefs, attitudes, and values developed,
maintained, or changed?
Specifically, this RFA will support research that addresses issues such as:
What contributes to individual differences in the beliefs, attitudes, and values
that affect health and biological processes? How are health-related
beliefs, attitudes, and values formed, maintained, and changed? How do
social class, family, culture, disability, age, gender, or ethnicity influence
health-related beliefs, attitudes, values, or cognitive styles?
3) The third is on how stress influences physical health, including: (a)
basic research investigating how affect, attitudes, beliefs, and values
influence perceived stress, individual differences in the biology of stress, and
interactions between stress and behavioral risk factors for disease; (b)
behavioral, affective, and biological
mediators of the relationship between stress and health or disease, (c) the
evaluation of mind-body interventions (e.g., relaxation-based, cognitive
therapy, or support group) for physical illness and/or biological functioning,
and (d) the translation of successful interventions into programs deliverable in
clinical settings. These
interventions may be examined alone or in conjunction with other stress
management techniques.
Issues such as the following would be appropriate here: Through which
psychological or physiological pathways do stress management approaches affect
health? What are the effective components in successful stress-management
practices? Does the combination of various stress management techniques
improve outcome? Are particular stress-management interventions more
effective for certain individuals, populations, or health outcomes? Can
successful stress-management
practices be effectively implemented in natural settings? What are the
possible economic implications of utilizing stress management interventions?
What are the factors that lead to individual differences in how stress is
experienced and managed as well as in the health consequences of stress?
Source:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-03-008.html
5.2 Empower Your Mind, Body, and Spirit by Taking a Class
Too often, women shortchange their own time and needs for
those of other family members or friends. It can be difficult to
carve out space for yourself when the demands for your attention
are so great. However, national studies and thousands of
personal testimonials show that the benefits of taking time for
yourself far outweigh the setbacks of an hour or two away from
those demands. Signing up for a class is one way that women are
staking claim on their lives and taking steps to expand their
knowledge, grow an interest, and learn new skills…for
themselves. Women are learning that it's never too late to
continue their education.
"Education engages the mind," says Connie Cordovilla,
Assistant Director, Human Rights and Community Relations, at the
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. "It empowers women to
think about themselves in a positive light."
Taking a class is a simple, quick, and empowering first step
you can take to improve your physical or mental health. It's
energizing to refresh skills, update knowledge about a topic
with recent information, or learn something brand new. And as
the saying goes, "energy begets energy."
For those looking to advance their careers, continuing
education is a great option. "Continuing education keeps you
abreast of the issues in your chosen field, and it also helps
keep your mind sharp so that you can improve your work and move
towards a promotion," says Cordovilla. "This kind of education
gives you flexibility in the job market."
"There are also those classes that we do for stress relief,
like ceramics or painting, and those that help us learn a craft,
like doing taxes or putting together a will," Cordovilla says.
"No education is ever wasted. It always goes to some use whether
personal or professional gain."
Whether you want to learn how to cook low-fat recipes,
develop a winning attitude, practice yoga, lower stress, or
improve your finances, there is probably a group or an
organization that offers courses, workshops, or seminars on the
subject. The opportunities are endless. Enrolling in a class
also presents you with an opportunity to meet new people who
share similar interests.
How do you find classes suitable and convenient for you?
Check with any of the following organizations:
- Continuing education departments in colleges and
universities
- Hospitals, clinics, and health centers
- Women's organizations, such as the YWCA
- Workplaces
- Churches and religious organizations
- City, county, or state health and recreation departments
- Libraries
Getting out and taking a class has another benefit as well.
It gets your body moving, and we can all use a little more
exercise in our lives. Do yourself a favor-take a couple hours
for yourself this week. Register for a class. Pick something
that interests you. The world is your classroom!
Source:
http://www.4woman.gov/PYPTH/articles/aa_empower.html
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