In a brief video, Eric Bashor in the Christian Science Press Room shares how some mental health treatments today go beyond a drug-based approach. Bashor cites a Washington Post article by Tony Lobl entitled, World Alzheimer’s Day: The healing depths of togetherness. The article includes this guidance from Professor John Swinton of the University of Aberdeen: “…good dementia care has to do with
May was National Mental Health Month here in the U.S.
Here are brief excerpts from five interesting news stories on the subject that show things we’re learning, new approaches that are being tried to treat mental health issues, and a recognition that spirituality is important.
A study published in 2000 by the American Psychological Association found that “religious involvement was significantly associated with lower mortality.” Similarly, a study published in The American Journal of Public Health in 1997 found that frequent religious attendance reduced mortality.
Researchers suspect some of this comes from healthier behaviors and more social interaction characteristic of those with religious involvement. But, to their credit, they accept that the research results show a connection between religious involvement and reduced mortality and indicate that more research is needed to understand why.
I recently read an interesting book entitled, “Long For This World – The Strange Science of Immortality” by Jonathan Weiner. Much of the book centers on conversations with Aubrey de Grey who believes that aging is a disease caused by the accumulation of waste at the cellular level, sometimes called the “disposable soma theory”.