Health and Meaningful Dialogue Centre

07/05/2023

Publication News🎉

Collaboration with the Saudi National Mental Health Survey team based at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre

Lifetime prevalence and treatment of mental disorders in Saudi youth and adolescents.

Previous global and regional studies indicate that adolescents and young adults (i.e., youth) are affected by various mental disorders with lifelong consequences. However, there are no national estimates of mental disorders prevalent among Saudi youth. Using data from the Saudi National Mental Healt...

20/11/2022

Health and Meaningful Dialogue Centre shared a post on Instagram: "Services: What do you do? ...

05/11/2022

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Haste

𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯
UK /heɪst/ USA /heɪst/

𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧; 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲.

There are times when we make a hasty decision based on very little information.

Academically, this decision-making style is known as ‘jumping to conclusions’ (JTC) bias, where “overconfident probabilistic judgments” are made using minimal data, according to research by Ryan McKay, Robyn Langdon and Max Coltheart (2006).

The JTC bias, however, can get us into trouble. So much so that it is associated with the risk of developing mental health problems, suggests research done by Robert Dudley, Peter Taylor and colleagues (2016).

If I keep jumping to conclusions, this type of reasoning style might lead to maintenance of some beliefs that might be considered ‘delusional’, in a cognitive assessment.

This bias would show up if, for example, I start believing that the red car that drives by my house every morning is a person out to harm me, and so I start looking out for red cars, and each time I see one, my heart starts beating faster and I start getting upset…and as this continues to happen, I overlook other ‘realistic alternative explanation of events’, as described by Dudley and colleagues.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales…”
— Sahih al-Bukhari 6064, Book 78, Hadith 94

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Image credit: No known copyright restrictions; Image taken from “Fairy Mary’s Dream. By A. F. L. With illustrations by the Author” by A. F. L., and Robert Herdman, 1870, page 43, London.

25/09/2022

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Sometimes, we lose control of our emotions in a way that makes no sense. It makes no sense to us and it makes no sense to those around us.

This can look like a child throwing a sharp toy against the wall, and suddenly their parent is yelling at them and other individuals around them.

This can look like a friend having a conversation with another friend, and suddenly mid-conversation one of them becomes inconsolable.

This can look like a person on the street getting out of their car to aggressively confront an individual in the car behind them.

According to the review article published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Pace-Schott and colleagues (2019) suggest that emotion regulation is the deliberate or automatic processing of emotions to increase or reduce the duration or intensity of an emotional response, making it more manageable.

They highlight that the emotion regulation may occur before or during an emotional response (e.g., before one thinks they’re going to cry or while they are crying).

But back up a little, how does one emotionally regulate?

There’s a lot of research on various techniques to do this.

One method suggested by Torre and Lieberman (2018) – published in the journal Emotion Review – is affect labelling. This is where you label your emotions, and in turn implicitly regulate your emotions.

A label – especially one that is given to an ambiguous state or a fleeting feeling – helps to reduce the uncertainty we experience that leads to the overwhelming emotional response.

This type of emotion regulation might not be a foolproof solution to the flurry of emotions we feel sometimes, but in the internal chaos we experience in such moments, it may be worth a try.

Feel free to share how you emotionally regulate in the comments 👇🏽

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Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

16/09/2022

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Neither Beast Nor Bird
By Walter Crane

A Beast he would be, or a bird,
As might suit, thought the Bat: but he erred.
When the battle was done,
He found that no one
Would take him for friend at his word.

In the picture, we see a bee – a knight in wispy-winged armour – rushing to rescue a butterfly stuck in a spider’s web.

Decades ago, Dr. Stephen B. Karpman described this situation where people become stuck in a cycle of having their needs met through unspoken bids for action.

This looks like interpersonal conflicts – a pattern of cycling between the roles of Victim, Persecutor and Rescuer in our relationships with people around us.

Often, this happens unintentionally. Sometimes, we just don’t know why we do the things we do.

Dr. Karpman aptly called this dance the drama triangle.

How do we break the cycle and get away from the drama triangle?

How do we stop playing the roles of the victim, the persecutor and the rescuer in our relationships?

Lac and Donaldson (2020) – in their work published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence – suggest that “it is important for people to become self-aware of their position in the drama triangle in interpersonal interactions”.

Let’s take that first step for now.

  ۗإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ
God does not change the condition of a people [for the worse] unless they change what is in themselves
– Surah Ar-Ra’d, Verse 11

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Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

Image credit: No known copyright restrictions; Image taken from “Fairy Mary’s Dream. By A. F. L. With illlustrations by the Author” by A. F. L., and Robert Herdman, 1870, page 34, London.

02/09/2022

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“The night is come, but not too soon;
And sinking silently,
All silently, the little moon
Drops down behind the sky.
–
There is no light in earth or heaven
But the cold light of stars;”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ‘The Light of Stars’ [read the full poem here: https://bit.ly/3wSpJ3A]

We, the people of urban civilizations, created artificial light and then became subservient to it. Not only during the day, but especially so at night.

the author of The Mindful Way to a Good Night's Sleep – a book recommended by psychology and psychotherapy experts alike – suggests ‘befriending’ the night, instead of “rushing through it, impatient for the light of dawn”.

‘Rushing’ because we do not like the darkness as much as the light. Rushing because we cannot sit still for a moment too long before we reach for some form of light around us.

In the Chapter ‘Darkness, Silence, and Stillness, Oh My!’ of her book, Glover recommends meditation at night time. She writes: “Keep listening for progressively quieter sounds. Can you hear the beating of you own heart? The gentle pulses of air moving through your lungs, lifting your diaphragm, filling and emptying in your belly? Can you hear the silence deep in the center of your being? Keep listening.’

وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَـٰرَ ٱلنُّجُومِ

“Glorify Him at night and at the fading of the stars.”
– Surah At-Tur, Verse 49

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Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

31/08/2022

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“I
Like
The Way
That when you
Tilt
Poems
On their side
They
Look like
Miniature
Cities 
From
A long way
Away. 
Skyscrapers
Made out
Of
Words.”

― , How to Stop Time

Skyscrapers and cityscapes differ from country to country. As do cultural norms, religious customs, and social support systems.

Research by Ana Draper and colleagues (2022) – published in the Journal of Family Therapy – reviews past research studies to emphasize the impact of migration on individuals.

Migration affects an individual’s idea of self and their identity. Draper and her colleagues suggest that the processes experienced are even similar to those experienced during bereavement.

Multiple changes associated with multiple losses in the form of one’s culture, their relationships, social status, familiar food, traditions, values, and language are all reported to be part of this immigration trajectory.

So what helps an individual experiencing ‘migratory grief’?

Draper and colleagues suggest that individuals here are not required to abandon their past identity, rather they must consider integrating aspects and elements from their native culture and pre-migration identity into their present and future life/identities.

Follow for more posts on health and meaningful dialogue, inspired by poetry and research.

Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

26/08/2022

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The City by Langston Hughes

In the morning the city
Spreads its wings
Making a song
In stone that sings.

In the evening the city
Goes to bed
Hanging lights
Above its head.

📸: on Twitter
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There are a lot of ideas about what helps us sleep better.

But research by Solenne Van der Maren and colleagues (2018) – published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms – is clear about a few things:

Light during the day is important for your sleep health. And decreasing light exposure before bedtime, especially the blue light that emits from your screen devices, is key.

Think about your sleep routine, if you have one.
Consider the lights in your home and how you can make them work for you.
Is there a way you can switch some things around at night to benefit your sleep health?

Follow for more posts on health and meaningful dialogue, inspired by poetry and research.

Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

22/08/2022

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Some of our best creative ideas come to us when we are mind-wandering.

Or at least when we engage in mind-wandering, deliberately and mindfully.

These are the research findings of Danah Henriksen and colleagues (2020) published in the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity.

Here, mind-wandering does not refer to daydreaming, where our thoughts take us wherever they want.

This is the other way around.

This is deliberate and grounded in the awareness of our thoughts, where we can take charge of the wheels of creativity inside our minds.

But wait, what is mind-wandering, anyway?

According to Jonathan Schooler and colleagues (2014), mind-wandering is “a common everyday experience in which attention becomes disengaged from the immediate external environment and focused on internal trains of thought” (p. 1).

This means we can potentially get lost in our thoughts while mind-wandering.

But with mindful mind-wandering, we can indulge and nurture our creativity purposefully, almost strategically, and with some intention in place.

Henriksen and colleagues remind us that mindfulness and creativity are important for our wellbeing. These human processes contribute to our development, not only at an individual level, but also at a societal level.

Follow for more posts on health and meaningful dialogue, inspired by research.

Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

19/08/2022

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Uncertainty lurks around every corner of our lives.
Yet many of us deny its existence or for a time, simply forget it’s out there.

How do we prepare better then?

Fikret Berkes (2007) in the article published in the journal Natural Hazards says:

“Learning to live with uncertainty requires building a memory of past events, abandoning the notion of stability, expecting the unexpected, and increasing the capability to learn from crisis.’’ (p. 288)

Along these lines, Harry Rutter and colleagues (2020) put forward a few rules for managing uncertainty during a pandemic in :

One of their poignant rules says it outright – in some situations and for some questions, certainty might not even be possible.

This is when you have two options –
(i) wait for some conclusive evidence to act on, or
(ii) make a decision based on what you know and have as evidence already.

Another rule proposes that to make sense of complex situations, we must admit ignorance and accept the complexity of the issue at hand.
And then by ‘reflecting collectively’ over the problem, we may steadily navigate the shores of uncertainty.

Follow for more posts on health and meaningful dialogue, inspired by research.

Visit the Health and Meaningful Dialogue (HAMD) Centre website, and support the Centre on Patreon (link in bio).

17/08/2022

Menu For Health:
Optimal Sleep
Optimal Mental Health
Optimal Physical Health

In the editorial ‘Let’s get physical’ published by the Lancet Psychiatry for the September 2022 Issue (9), the editor draws attention to the complex feedback loop between sleep, mental health, and physical health.

According to research, sleep trouble can be symptom of mental disorders like anxiety and depression, but it can also affect physical health.

Poor sleep affects our immunity to diseases (including COVID-19), and surreptitiously messes with our heart health.

So what is one supposed to do about sleep, heart, and health?

A quick look at credible sources suggests that what is considered ‘optimal’ for a person may vary. But often health authorities will offer an average or a range of hours, grams, calories, daily step count, or another type of measurement.

Take a few moments to think about what might be optimal for you?
Try being mindful about what helps your mental health, and improves your sleep.
Start there.

And then, read the menu again:
Mix these ingredients with plenty of optimal nutrition in a secure environment.
Shake well & enjoy with a friend.