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Unlocking Mental Well-being: Everyday Behaviors That Boost Happiness

Research from Curtin University has revealed that everyday actions like chatting with friends, spending time in nature, and engaging in mentally stimulating activities can significantly improve mental well-being. The study surveyed over 600 Western Australian adults and found that those who practiced these behaviors on a daily basis scored higher on a standard mental well-being scale than those who did so less frequently.

The research highlighted the importance of social connections, physical activity, spirituality, and helping others in maintaining good mental health. Participants who chatted with friends every day scored 10 points higher on average, while spending time in nature daily was associated with a five-point increase. Other behaviors linked to improved mental well-being included frequent catch-ups with friends, physical activity, practicing spirituality, and engaging in mentally stimulating activities like crosswords or learning a new language.

Lead author Professor Christina Pollard emphasized that these findings offer clear evidence of the power of simple, low-cost actions in promoting good mental health and well-being. “These aren’t expensive programs or clinical interventions,” she said. “They’re behaviors that are already part of many people’s lives and can be easily encouraged through public health messaging.”

The study also evaluated 15 behaviors promoted by the Act Belong Commit campaign and found that mental well-being increased consistently with the frequency of participation in these behaviors. Awareness of the campaign was high, with 86 per cent of participants recognizing it, and nearly all agreed that mental health should be prioritized alongside physical health.

Despite being conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social interactions were limited, 93 per cent of respondents reported no psychological distress, and average mental well-being scores were comparable to international pre-pandemic norms. Professor Pollard noted that this research provides a strong case for long-term investment in population-wide mental health promotion campaigns that go beyond awareness and empower people to take meaningful action.

“This research confirms that when people are supported and encouraged to engage in mentally healthy behaviors, the benefits can be felt across the community,” she said. “It’s about prevention, not just treatment – helping people stay mentally well before they reach crisis point.”

The article discusses the findings of a study conducted at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) that compared the effects of manual and keyboard training on children’s reading and writing skills. The researchers concluded that children who used their hands to practice handwriting obtained better results than those who typed on keyboards.

The study involved 50 children aged 5-6 years, who were taught new letters and words using either manual or keyboard-based methods. The researchers found that the group that practiced handwriting had a greater ability to identify, write, and pronounce both the letters and the pseudowords compared to the group that used keyboards.

One of the key findings was that the graphomotor function – the ability to make precise hand movements while writing – played an essential role in memorizing letter and word structures. The researchers also discovered that variability in handwriting practice had a positive effect on learning, with children who practiced freely obtaining better results than those who followed guides or used standard fonts.

The study’s lead researcher, Joana Acha, emphasized the importance of prioritizing manual practice in learning processes, stating that “children learn best from hand movements and so technological devices should only be used in a complementary way.” This suggests that while digital tools can be useful for certain aspects of learning, traditional handwriting practices are essential for developing reading and writing skills.

Overall, the study’s findings have significant implications for educators and parents who want to support children’s learning and development. By prioritizing manual practice and providing opportunities for children to engage in free-writing activities, we can help them develop the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research has shown that a novel treatment approach for primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is more effective than traditional speech therapy alone. The technique, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), combines electrical brain stimulation with speech therapy to help individuals with PPA maintain their language abilities.

Primary progressive aphasia is a neurological condition that causes a gradual decline in language skills, making it difficult for people to communicate effectively. There is currently no cure or medication that can reverse or stop the progression of PPA. However, researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a new treatment approach that shows promise in managing this condition.

The study’s lead researcher, Katlyn Nickels, and senior author, Aneta Kielar, used neuroimaging analysis to determine the area of the brain that needs to be stimulated in individuals with PPA. They found that targeting the area responsible for language processing can help improve communication skills.

In their study, 12 individuals with written language deficits received two phases of treatment: one phase involved speech therapy paired with active tDCS, while the other phase involved the same speech therapy with placebo tDCS. The results showed that participants improved after both treatments but demonstrated greater and more lasting improvement following the phase with active tDCS.

The researchers believe that brain stimulation helped induce neuroplasticity, boosting the effects of speech therapy. This means that brain stimulation can help form new connections between neurons, which is essential for learning and maintaining new skills.

This breakthrough treatment approach has significant implications for individuals with PPA and their families. As Nickels notes, “There’s a misconception sometimes with neurodegenerative diseases, that once you get a diagnosis, there is nothing that can be done.” However, this research shows that even when there’s a progressive brain disease, we can help restore lost function and even slow down the progression.

The researchers’ long-term goal is to translate their findings into a clinical setting, making tDCS more accessible and affordable for individuals with PPA. With its low cost, safety, and ease of use, tDCS has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of this debilitating condition.