A Standford-led study shows reframing traumatic events, such as the pandemic, can ease depression and reduce biological markers of stress.
Most of the time it’s difficult to try and look for the good in a bad situation. The phrases ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ and ‘look on the bright side’ probably sound familiar. However, new research shows adopting a positive mindset after a disaster is one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health.
The research, published in the journal Brain, Behaviour and Immunity, is comprised of findings from a one-hour online session aimed at changing how participants viewed their experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts split individuals into two groups. The first viewed a series of videos with information about different phases of the pandemic and were asked to answer questions to test their knowledge. The second watched short clips about how people can grow after hardship, including developing stronger relationships, resilience and appreciation for life. Participants were then required to reflect on how this might apply to their own lives.
Individuals in the second group reported lower levels of depression three months after the trial ended, and blood tests showed lower levels of C-reactive protein – an inflammatory marker linked to chronic stress and illness.
Lead author of the study, Alia Crum, said: ‘As much as we might wish to live untouched by trauma or catastrophe, the reality is that few of us are spared from such struggle.
‘This study was inspired by our desire to help people reflect on their experience of the pandemic with an eye on how it could help them grow.’
However, researchers also emphasised that their goal was not to promote blind optimism. Jesse Barrera, co-first author of the research, continued: ‘We tried to be very nuanced and balanced. We brought in research-based evidence that positive change can and does happen for many people after trauma.’
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, the research was conducted remotely with people submitting dried blood samples via post – a method made possible during the pandemic, which researchers claim could be useful in future public health crises.
‘In the post-pandemic era, we face a choice,’ Alia added. ‘We can let it recede into memory, leaving us depleted, or we can choose to learn from it and grow – both personally and collectively.’
Photo by Erik Mclean via UnSplash
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