tonyplant's blog for July 2006
Submitted by tonyplant on July 29, 2006 - 10:51.
A researcher has put together a map of happiness in the world. The map shows that Denmark is the No. 1 destination. Health levels, prosperity and education were the strongest determinants of happiness. Money might not guarantee happiness, but it does make a significant contribution when it is spend on healthcare and education. It probably comes as no surprise that Zimbabwe and Burundi come bottom: oddly enough, the USA is placed at 23 and UK at 41 out of 178 countries.
The researcher makes some interesting comments about why countries appear in the places that they do. He remarks that Asia showed up poorly despite the strong sense of family and collective identity. However, I would speculate that questions that emphasise subjective wellbeing are not culturally appropriate in several countries. Although there is some mention of lower levels of happiness in countries with large population, the examples cited seem to relate more to high population density than large populations (they may overlap but are not necessarily synonymous).
Of course, according to a recent item in The Guardian, happiness is over-rated. Happiness does seem to be a red-rag that precludes discussion of the benefits that it confers. Apart from novels and philosophical/religious speculations about the spiritual ennoblement that suffering gives us, where did we develop the idea that lessons in how to develop our mental and physical fortitude would reduce us to the blandly chipper, annoying others with our mindless cheer and groundless optimism? We can't eradicate sadness or adversity: they are a natural part of life's rhythms. But, for some people, it does seem as if we can do something about our ability to cope with such circumstances.
read more | add new comment | resilience | happystance | happiness | Authentic Happiness | aristotle
Submitted by tonyplant on July 27, 2006 - 14:10.
So, the grant writing is continuing and my whinge-level is escalating. Even yesterday morning, I had potential partners pull out because they sat on the material for months and notified me yesterday that they couldn't see a way in which they could co-operate, because of a re-organisation. Yesterday. The bids are due in tomorrow. I'd pretty much guessed that they weren't going ahead but as recently as Monday they were still telling me that they were interested and wanted to be involved.
We are having a re-org is fast becoming as popular (and as truthful) as 'The cheque's in the post'.
Perhaps I ought to be cheered that the Voluntary Sector is managed no better nor worse than commercial industry. And that the people in them are no more reliable or unreliable.
Copyright 2006,
Tony Plant Happystance Project
add new comment | muda | grant applications
Submitted by tonyplant on July 25, 2006 - 12:55.
This week's edition of Grand Rounds is hosted and selected by Giskin, AJ and Beth from Medical Humanities. I am fascinated by this insight into the working week and interests of people who make a direct difference to the quality of life of others. Like everything else, good medicine relies on techno-stars but depends upon good communication and co-operation.
All of human life is there, and the narrative is framed around a fabulous selection of gardening images, notes and insights. The explain their metaphors:
So often matters medical are portrayed in the language of war: the fight against disease, the battle against cancer. These are the metaphors that have dominated medical discourse in the mainstream media. Yet, the military metaphor is not inevitable. Health-care professions tend their patients with the devotion and attention that gardeners lavish on their plants, hoping to keep them healthy.
There is a poem about the search for a
pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for NF1. There are difficult stories, ranging from the
subtle indications that someone is living with spousal abuse to the arrests following
controversy about the management of some patients in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
read more | add new comment | medblogs | Grand Rounds
Submitted by tonyplant on July 21, 2006 - 13:37.
I have whinged in the past about how difficult it is to prise a response out of people when making enquiries. Well, back in April, I made more than 100 enquiries about collaborative partnerships for various projects that I have in mind for the Big Lottery Well-being Funding Initiative.
Most of the contacts were given to me by Big Lottery - there were descriptions of the areas in which people were interested, and the name and contact details of the person co-ordinating the initiative. Despite supplying a document with live links (just think how easy it would have been to test the validity of the addresses), more than 40% of the email addresses were mis-quoted. One of the most laborious tasks that I had was experimenting with various permutations of names or tracking the organisations via Google to try and work out what the domain name should be for the email address.
Some people responded and snarked that they weren't too sure of what was happening in their organisation because they were having a re-organisation, so effectively, "Why are you bothering me?". These were the named contacts who had agreed to be listed as co-ordinators on the Big Lottery contact list. They were all paid to answer these enquries and to do so as part of their responsibilities. It mightn't be pleasant, but they were the named contact.
1 attachment | read more | add new comment | social enterprise | funding
Submitted by tonyplant on July 20, 2006 - 10:22.
I've previously offered a bone-achingly long post that shares my confusion about the topic Is Unhappiness A Symptom Or A Passing Phase. A handwave summary would be that unhappiness is part of the rhythm of our lives: however, when it persists it can be part of the symptom spectrum of depression. There is professional conflict that suggests that depression is over-diagnosed, and under-diagnosed according to demographic groups (e.g., under-diagnosed in men) and that it is over-medicated or under-medicated. There is little conflict over the life-distorting impact of depresson and its implications both for personal quality of life and well-being (a personal economy) and the general economy (depression can impact people's ability to be economically active). I hope that is clear (yes, your suspicion that I'm at the state of ignorance where all I can say is "One the one hand this. On the other hand..." is absolutely true). I am choosing to bodyswerve any attempt to summarise whether depression statistics should be included in any discussion of happiness economics.
Anyhow. I've introduced more confusion into my thinking by reading the transcript of a thought-provoking debate between psychiatrist Raj Persaud and happiness economist, Lord Layard. As part of the background to the debate, we are told that although research indicates that money doesn't necessarily make us happier, "the greatest predictor of unhappiness...is still real poverty and hardship, with mental illness a close second". It is from this position that Layard argues:
...that public policy, and even how we spend our time, should be more devoted to trying to help people who are very unhappy. There’s another reason there actually, which is in the research and has not been pointed out very much. We know a lot more about what makes the difference, what causes the difference between the misery and average happiness. Knowing what causes the difference between average happiness and great happiness, we have it more in our power (as well as it being a duty) to do more about the least happy.
…Unfortunately this is not the way the government has been thinking up till now. Psychiatry and psychology have been Cinderella sections of the NHS. If you have blood pressure (I have) or a skin problem, or asthma, or diabetes, or whatever, you will almost automatically, at some point, see a specialist. But not if you have a crippling depression which is stopping you from working for a year; you’re extremely unlikely to see a specialist. Not more than 10% of people in that condition will see a specialist, and this reflects I think our obsession at the moment with ‘objective indicators’ rather than the feelings of people, which are what I believe matter most of all. So it’s encouraging that by pointing out some of these facts, there is now a move going on in the government to provide more psychological therapy, which is of course what these patients want, they just don’t want to be put on a few pills by the GP and sent off home.
Unlike the usual discussion as to whether unhappiness is a prodrome for depression in the way that high blood pressure is for heart disease, Layard is proposing a call to action that discusses misery, unhappiness and depression as if they are synonyms. Persaud commends Layard's work for promoting positive psychology as a necessary part of public policy. He disputes Layard's definition of happiness and how it is measured: he argues that we need to take personal responsibility for our own happiness.
Internality and externality are two key dimensions the psychologists feel you can divide the population over. Internals are people who take responsibility for their lives, they believe that they can have an impact on the future of their life, on their destiny. And they believe their destiny is in their hands. Externals, on the other hand, believe that their life is down to external forces beyond their control and they have very limited ability to control their future.
...externals are more prone to various problems.
Persaud speculates that a blame culture is pushing more of the population in an external direction.
And the squeezing out of personal responsibility means that people are much more external in orientation. And it has dramatic implications for happiness, because externals feel happier in the short run, because when bad things happen to them, they can always blame someone else for why it happened to them. But in the long run, because they don’t take personal responsibility for their lives, they’re not going to be successful.
Persaud suggests that the pernicious effect ascribed to television and other entertainment media (similar to the earlier discussion of television) could be mitigated by
educating people as to the dangers of the entertainment industry and then leaving it to people to make decisions for themselves.
Persaud also outlines the research that shows that we are notoriously poor at predicting what will make us happy. Accepting this, he says:
I would be worried about governments saying, well, you know, you guys are really bad at this decision-making stuff; we’re going to take over and help you with your decisions. I think people should be educated about the fact that they’re error-prone when it comes to these decisions, but hopefully with that education they’ll be moved to a place where they can make better decisions over happiness.
Entertainment and public policy are both sources of mis-information and FEAR (False Experience Appearing Real). Both Layard and Persaud discuss the corrosive impact that these can have.
Now you’ve got this extraordinary view, which is obviously completely wrong, that there are many people according to the surveys, people in their late teens or early 20s, who think they’re not going to be as rich as their parents. Now this is completely fatuous. It’s inconceivable that that should come about. And yet this is the atmosphere of fear and anxiety that’s been created.
Persaud summarises the influence of politics on our sense of well-being. Both agree that it would be better if politicans and public policy:
encouraged more that we thought about positive emotions, like happiness and wellbeing. And encouraged ourselves to orientate ourselves towards positive emotions like wellbeing, and that we voted on that rather than voting on fear.
It's an intriguing discussion. I am not convinced that we can only shed unhappiness with the aid of a psychologist or psychiatrist. Intervention-based studies by positive psychologists such as Seligman and Reivich argue that we can change how we experience our lives and the quality of our lives by learning to be happy/more resilient. However, although happiness is a legitimate individual pursuit that can be self-cultivated, it seems as if there is a role for our local and national governments. Researchers like Ed Diener say that it is easier to be happy when there is a sense of trust, safety, stability and security. He says that governments can create conditions such as recreational facilities, working hours legislation, a health infrastructure and transport infrastructure that have a profound influence on people's happiness. One thing is certain, happiness can have a profound effect on our personal and national economies and deserves more attention (e.g., the cost of providing mental health treatment for the estimated 1 in 10 british children who are in need of it).
read more | add new comment | resilience | persaud | Layard | happiness economics | happiness | FEAR
Submitted by tonyplant on July 19, 2006 - 08:13.
I was caught up in yet another discussion about choice recently. We were exchanging views on whether choice adds to our sense of freedom and happiness or whether being immersed in choice actually distracts our energy from more significant matters. The discussion ranged from the "we've never had it so good" school to Schwartz's recent account of the freedom to choose and Harbaugh's "falling behind the Joneses".
I was trying to express my experience that I meet many carers in Happystance workshops who relish some choices but are bewildered by others (e.g., to do with complex benefit/allowance applications; or indecision about what care package meets the needs of everybody involved). In the press of conversation I managed to mangle a cross between a spoonerism and a malaproprism. The spoonerism was between choice and consumer; the malapropism was substituting agoraphobia for a word that I no longer recall.
After my initial surprise, I thought about it and have decided that the phrases are apposite. Agoraphobia is literally fear of the marketplace. I think that 'consumer agoraphobia' can describe a condition where consumers are overwhelmed by choice. Some people are so overwhelmed by choice that they no longer want to take even small decisions because they trigger so much anxiety.
1 attachment | read more | add new comment | schwartz | positive psychology | positive emotion | happystance | choice
Submitted by tonyplant on July 13, 2006 - 11:38.
I ran a Happystance event on Monday. The carers were a lively bunch which always helps if you're incorporating laughter into the event. Unfortunately, none of them had used a digital camera before so I don't have any pictures as a memento.
However, I did receive this note from the organiser:
I would just like to say thank you for running your Laughter Session on Monday 10th July 2006 at XXXX Carers Centre.
I have had such fantastic feed back from the carers who attended, they absolutely loved it!
I was wondering, if it would be at all possible for you to do another session? It was so well received that I have had carers calling me up asking for a repeat!
I can understand that you must be very busy, but on the off chance that you can, I have a few proposed dates.
It's feedback like that that makes running this project such a joy. I loathe the admin, I hate the time and resources that are sucked into paperwork etc. but the actual events are so rewarding - it's a real pleasure.
Copyright 2006, Tony Plant Happystance Project
add new comment | workshop | happystance | carers
Submitted by tonyplant on July 11, 2006 - 15:08.
This week's edition of Grand Rounds is hosted and selected by a Transplant Co-ordinator (TC) from Donor Cycle. I am utterly fascinated by the medblog insight into the working lives of people whose jobs make an obvious and direct difference. This week's online peek into the diverse world of medical researchers, healthcare workers, patients and policy makers is as interesting as ever. Like everything else, good medicine relies on techno-stars but depends upon good communication and co-operation.
All of human life is there, from why childbirth is like baseball through to the role of bingo and a female posse of friends in helping a widower to remain chipper.
I commend Grand Rounds to you.
add new comment | medblogs | Grand Rounds
Submitted by tonyplant on July 9, 2006 - 08:58.
.jpg "Young man, wearing a hoodie, with attitude")
Following the disastrous report into the state of children's and adolescents' mental health I was wondering about the only possible mechanism for delivering appropriate interventions for children who need them.
So, I'm pleased to see that the Independent on Sunday carries a story about Prof. Marty Seligman being invited over to the UK to train teachers in delivering happiness and resilience lessons to children. It's an exciting prospect. It is more than a little interesting that the reporter has made the usual mistake of referring to Seligman as the "guru of positive thinking" as if it is a synonym for positive psychology and as if Prof. Seligman has accepts the annointment as "guru".
I think that this is an excellent innovation (particularly because it seems as if parents will be allowed to participate) but it is not clear that this is meant to address the needs of children identified in the BMA report as in need of treatment. Apparently, the "anti-depression classes" have been approved by Lord Layard. Now, the classes are either happiness and resilience classes or they are anti-depression: it is hard to imagine that they are synonymous. This is very sloppy reporting.
The move comes as experts warn that record numbers of young people are on the verge of mental breakdown as a result of family break-up, exam pressures and growing inability to cope with the pressures of modern life.
Figures show that at least 10 per cent - three children in every average-sized class of 30 in the country - are experiencing symptoms of severe depression, including suicidal thoughts, prolonged bouts of despair and the urge to cry on a daily basis.
Irritatingly, the
IoS's third article then styles the lessons as
optimism lessons. Yes, there are overlaps but be consistent. It is ludicrous that there are three articles but it is still not clear what the lessons are and whether they are offered to all pupils as a means of developing resilience (probable) or considered to be sufficient for the children identified as having severe mental health problems. If it is the latter, it would have been helpful if the articles had mentioned the involvement of family doctors or any psychologists or psychiatrists who are already involved in the family.
read more | add new comment | school | resilience | mental health | happiness | children
Submitted by tonyplant on July 8, 2006 - 15:03.
AADT has published a funny overview of the recent findings about the level of paranoia in the UK. They quote the BBC account of the statistics that paranoia is nearly as common as anxiety and depression and comment:
Their statistics paint a picture of a nation not quite teetering on the brink of tin foil hat sales and mass hysteria, but still facing an unexpectedly large problem.
I haven't read the original paper but AADT quotes:
- Over 40% of people regularly worry that negative comments are being made about them
- 27% think that people deliberately try to irritate them
- 20% worry about being observed or followed
- 10% think that someone has it in for them
- 5% worry that there is a conspiracy to harm them
I've no idea what the comparable figures are for other countries but it would be a fascinating comparison!
A while ago, Dr. Sanity’s offered a tongue-in-cheek account of command hallucinations. I rather blithely suggested that we need a Happystance to resist these strong command hallucinations and to provide us with personal and social resilience in the face of all the dire news that confronts us on a regular basis. As a consumer of media reporting, I sometimes feel that a lot of it implies that I am been governed by idiots who are incapable of concealing their disdain for me by covering up their attempts to deceive me on matters great and small. Possibly not a fair characterisation, but I'm not sure that media reporting is always a fair characterisation of the issues, people and stories.
read more | add new comment | psychiatry | paranoia | mental health | FEAR | crichton
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