In January, we posted an item, “Linking Emotional and Physical Health.” On March 4, 2009, the University of Kansas (KU) announced that the results of a joint study with the Gallup World Poll into the connection between emotions and health were to be presented that day at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.
The study includes data from more than 150,000 adults in over 140 countries providing a representative sample of 95 percent of the world’s population. Participants reported emotions such as happiness, enjoyment, worry and sadness. They also described their physical health problems such as pain and fatigue.
According to Sarah Pressman, assistant professor of psychology at KU and a Gallup senior research associate, positive emotions unmistakably are linked to better health. The inverse holds true as well: Negative emotions were a reliable predator of worse health.
KU reports, “Most strikingly, the association between emotion and physical health was more powerful than the connection between health and basic human physical requirements, like adequate nourishment. Even without shelter or food, positive emotions were shown to boost health.”
Original Link: www.news.ku.edu/2009/march/4/emotion.shtml
In June 2008, the Gallup World Poll reported findings that underscore the crucial role of spending time with friends and family in determining the daily emotional well-being of the American public.
See: “Social Time Crucial to Daily Emotional Well-Being in U.S.“
Esther M. Sternberg is the author of “The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions”.
Publishers Weekly: “According to Sternberg, physical and psychological stresses–such as prolonged lack of sleep, divorce or social isolation–can make people sick by adversely affecting their immune and hormonal responses. Conversely, a strong belief in healing rituals and prayer may help make them well (via the placebo effect).”
See: http://tinyurl.com/c8wffk
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL ADVISER: “Occurring mainly in women under age 30, Raynaud’s is a circulatory response to the cold that can worsen with emotional stress. Emotional upset can trigger an attack in some people. Relaxation techniques and regular exercise can improve circulation, reduce stress and promote overall well-being.”
Source: http://tinyurl.com/d64tsy