Hugs work better than Church for mental health

[Darth Wong]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/hea ... le1396172/

Feeling blue? Look to hugs before heaven

Erin Anderssen
From Friday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 7:14PM EST
Last updated on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 7:52PM EST

Christmas spirit flagging? Go out and get a hug.

A new Canadian study has found that people who get hugs regularly are more likely to report better mental health. A warm embrace, in fact, had a more significant connection to an uplifting frame of mind than attending church regularly.

“For people who either benefit from affection or lack it, there are substantial differences,” says Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Montreal-based Association of Canadians Studies, who analyzed the data from the 2007 Canadian Community Health Survey. “I recommend getting a hug.”

Over all, Canadians appear to be a happy lot – with more than 60 per cent of the population reporting their mental health as excellent or very good. But in the national survey, Canadians who said they got hugs “all the time” were twice as likely as those who didn't to say their mental health was excellent. This makes sense, Mr. Jedwab says, because affection has a clear link to being part of a healthy, loving community. People with good mental health were also far more likely to say they had someone to turn to when they had problems.

At the same time, he says, it didn't matter whether people went to church every week or not at all – how they described their mental health didn't change.

The proportion of Canadians saying their mental health was excellent – or who said they felt “very satisfied” – and attend weekly worship was similar to the ones who never go. The pattern was the same among Canadians who saw themselves as very spiritual, and even held up among people who identified themselves as connected to a religion.

But don't rule out the health benefits of being spiritual, researchers say – especially in times of stress. In the past few years, a growing collection of studies have explored rates of mental illness among the religious, many of them finding that the incidence of depression and anxiety is lower among this segment of the population. A new, two-year Australian study that tracked people hospitalized with depression found that those who expressed core religious beliefs recovered faster – and that faith had a greater influence than either medication or community support.

“It's not just the social component, says Marilyn Baetz, an associate psychiatry professor at the University of Saskatchewan, who studies the role of religion in mental-health treatment. “People can use religion as a coping mechanism.”

But the story is complicated, Dr. Baetz says. People lean less often on religion when times are good, a fact a survey may obscure. And a strong faith can also work against treatment, she says, if, for instance, the person decides “[leave] the situation in God's hands.”

Either way, Mr. Jedwab says, religious leaders may be wise to take note of his findings: “To be on the safe side, clergy may wish to conclude their services by inviting [their] congregations to give someone a hug.”

This dovetails with my personal mental health strategy: hug a beautiful woman every day. Preferably one who actually knows you, so you don't end up being arrested.

[Havok]

Heh, nice. The title was a little misleading though. I was all like, 'Huge what?'

[Darth Wong]

Heh, nice. The title was a little misleading though. I was all like, 'Huge what?'

Yeah, I caught that and edited the title just before you posted. Damn my careless typing!

[Themightytom]

Heh, nice. The title was a little misleading though. I was all like, 'Huge what?'

Yeah, I caught that and edited the title just before you posted. Damn my careless typing!

now i kind of want to know what the original title was

Its an interesting study but I have a few problems with it.

Even the article is careful to point out that different social and cultural climates could come into play, Churches vary wildly not only accross sect but also culture. A honduran church service for eexample is unrecognizeable from significantly more conservative new England ones for example.

Secondly there could very well be chicken or the egg phenomena happening here, sure, maybe hugs are better for your mental health, or maybe your mental health reduces instances of hugs.

I definitely agree with Dr. baetz though as its common knowledge among mental health circles that spiritual beliefs can provide excellent coping strategies, presuming such beliefs were a core component of identity formation growing up. I always consider the church to be a more primitive prototype for intellectual thought. people probably weren't ready to use cognitive behavioral therapy in the heyday of the church so they substitutded the cognitive review of their actions and feelings for a template provided and affirmed for them by their community.

[Surlethe]

I wonder how much hugging and other positive, non-spiritual social interaction explain any effects of church-going on mental health: if you're more likely to be a part of a tightly-knit community where you receive hugs and other positive encouragement by attending church, then sure, you'd expect to see positive effects of church-going on mental health without seeing benefits from spirituality. So I guess you could conclude that Canadian non-churchgoers have as robust a set of social networks as Canadian churchgoers.

I also wonder if there is a rural-urban divide.

(PS- Split Serafine666's post to Bottom of Barrel.)

[loomer]

I have found this to be very much the case, except without the religion element. When I'm getting a depressive mood on, I'll call someone I know from my group (go actors - they're all so fucking emotional themselves they don't bother to ask questions) to come around, have some food, and for the love of god, hug me, so long as it isn't too late.

And it really does work. It lifts a bad mood like that, to know someone cares and is willing to share their physical space - even people you do bodywork with, where that sharing is an every day occurence, still have the same effect.

[Havok]

To actually comment on the article and not typos...

The three times I have been in a church (1 wedding, 1 funeral, 1 site see in NY) they all had the same feeling of a lecture hall, or some generic meeting place where CFOs give boring quarterly fiscal updates. It's really not surprising that one on one interaction with someone you presumably care about is going to make you feel more loved than being lectured to out of a 2000 year old book.

[Darth Wong]

I've been in a lot of churches, and they always feel like a lecture because that's pretty much exactly what they are. No wonder some people say they're just there for the singing, and they merely try to tolerate the preaching.

It's the people who are there for the preaching who really scare me.

[General Zod]

I've never understood how people can think Church is actually good for your mental health. Ever been to a Catholic Mass? I stepped into one for about ten minutes because I had to use the bathroom and they were there; the chanting by the attendees is downright creepy if you're not used to it. If anything I would expect that kind of social environment to fuel any kind of pre-existing psychosis.

[Darth Wong]

I've never understood how people can think Church is actually good for your mental health. Ever been to a Catholic Mass? I stepped into one for about ten minutes because I had to use the bathroom and they were there; the chanting by the attendees is downright creepy if you're not used to it. If anything I would expect that kind of social environment to fuel any kind of pre-existing psychosis.

It's creepy because you're not used to it. If you're raised in it, then it forms a pattern in your mind dating back to childhood, and it creates comfort because of those early childhood associations. Sort of like the way people get all wistful and nostalgic when they hear the Sesame Street song, as if an adult really has any use for that.

[aerius]

The three times I have been in a church (1 wedding, 1 funeral, 1 site see in NY) they all had the same feeling of a lecture hall, or some generic meeting place where CFOs give boring quarterly fiscal updates. It's really not surprising that one on one interaction with someone you presumably care about is going to make you feel more loved than being lectured to out of a 2000 year old book.

That's about the feeling I got when I went to church for weddings, never again if I can help it.

On the other hand I've also been to church for concerts and also a rave/party event (in Nuit Blanche '09 they turned the Church of The Holy Trinity into a psychedelic light & music show with a rave style dance party going on inside, people were drinking & smoking pot inside the church too), those were damn fun times. We were sinning in a church which made it even more exciting, and the architecture & lighting in the church really added to the atmosphere of the events and made'em awesome.

Going back to the article, I can't say I'm surprised. It doesn't matter how shitty I feel, as soon as my wife gives me a good hug I'm happy. It's better than any drug or anything else that I could do.

[Ariphaos]

I wonder how much hugging and other positive, non-spiritual social interaction explain any effects of church-going on mental health: if you're more likely to be a part of a tightly-knit community where you receive hugs and other positive encouragement by attending church, then sure, you'd expect to see positive effects of church-going on mental health without seeing benefits from spirituality. So I guess you could conclude that Canadian non-churchgoers have as robust a set of social networks as Canadian churchgoers.

I also wonder if there is a rural-urban divide.

I'm fairly certain that these social hookups are the primary driving force behind evangelical youth movements. Many of them don't believe a word they preach, they're just there to meet people and get laid.

I wish I was kidding, some of them have actually directly admitted that. The hypocrisy they promote gives them a pretty serious turnover rate. But it was a social event that parents were supportive of, that naturally segued into hugs and such, which a lot of people needed.

[Simplicius]

I've never understood how people can think Church is actually good for your mental health. Ever been to a Catholic Mass? I stepped into one for about ten minutes because I had to use the bathroom and they were there; the chanting by the attendees is downright creepy if you're not used to it. If anything I would expect that kind of social environment to fuel any kind of pre-existing psychosis.

Funny thing, that: communal singing seems to create an uplifting effect most if not all the time no matter the song, while communal recitation almost always sounds sinister. I'd say it's got something to do with the lack of strong rhythm in speech and the general dissonance of a lot of voices at their respective speaking pitches, but I don't know.

[Havok]

Yeah, but singing in general makes you feel better. You don't have to do it in a church or with a group of people. I mean I was rocking out to The Cars yesterday and dancing around while I was painting and felt great afterward.

[Surlethe]

Christian rap has no place in this thread. Punting to Off-Topic.

[Darth Wong]

I've never understood how people can think Church is actually good for your mental health. Ever been to a Catholic Mass? I stepped into one for about ten minutes because I had to use the bathroom and they were there; the chanting by the attendees is downright creepy if you're not used to it. If anything I would expect that kind of social environment to fuel any kind of pre-existing psychosis.

Funny thing, that: communal singing seems to create an uplifting effect most if not all the time no matter the song, while communal recitation almost always sounds sinister. I'd say it's got something to do with the lack of strong rhythm in speech and the general dissonance of a lot of voices at their respective speaking pitches, but I don't know.

That's because the dominant element of the song (in your brain) is the melody. That's why, if you're only vaguely familiar with a song, you will be able to hum its melody but you probably wont' remember most of the words.

Ergo, it doesn't bother you as much when someone says something creepy or disturbing in a melodic form, but if he says the same thing in monotones, it's creepy.

For example:

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING.
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU'RE AWAKE.
HE KNOWS WHEN YOU'VE BEEN BAD OR GOOD.
SO BE GOOD, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE.

That's fucking disturbing. But in song form, it's a cute children's Christmas song!

[Drooling Iguana]

I've never understood how people can think Church is actually good for your mental health. Ever been to a Catholic Mass? I stepped into one for about ten minutes because I had to use the bathroom and they were there; the chanting by the attendees is downright creepy if you're not used to it. If anything I would expect that kind of social environment to fuel any kind of pre-existing psychosis.

As someone raised in a Catholic family who went to church every week until leaving for college I think I can safely say that it doesn't get any less creepy when you are used to it, either.