Archive for the ‘Mental Health’ Category

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January 17th, 2012  Posted at   Mental Health
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Man is mortal. It is a universal truth. Death is the event that ensures this mortality. Some of us, who believe in religion, define death as an event that leads us to another life, others, who do not believe such, take it as an absolute end to the life. This variation in the concept of death develops from our childhood. Such an important concept in human life is rarely approached scientifically. But can the pattern of concept have significant impact on mental health?

My research began with the search of different concepts of death. The most optimistic concept in Bangladesh was the one that is described in the religion of Islam and followed by most of the people here. It describes death as an event before the ‘life after death’. Those that do not practice or believe in religion carried the most pessimistic concept. It describes death as the absolute cessation of life, and nothing after it.

150 Muslim subjects were selected for this research. They were divided in five groups according to their extent of religiosity. The first group consisted of the most religious type of Muslim and the last group consisted of the least religious or nonbeliever type of Muslim (nonbelievers are also included in this group) in Bangladesh. The other three groups in between consisted of the type of Muslim that have moderate to mild degree of religiosity. Every group was assessed for their adjustment capacity, especially with the universal truth – death. They were also assessed for their mental health condition, especially for their adjustment condition on an average.

Result was analysed using ANOVA and Correlation coefficient. Statistically significant differences were found in both the adjustment with the truth of death and adjustment capacity overall among the different groups of Muslim. The best adjustment in both the sectors mentioned above was found among the most religious group of Muslim. The worst was found in the least religious group (that included nonbelievers too). The intermediate groups showed differences of results more or less in same manner. (more…)

November 20th, 2011  Posted at   Mental Health
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Who at times has not compromised? Compromise is an essential part of our selfish way of life. We compromise to get along and to go along. We compromise to be accepted and to avoid losing that which we do not want to lose. We compromise because we see no other option. Nevertheless, if any person were to look back at prior times when he or she had compromised what was right, a close examination would consistently reveal that the choice to compromise always diminished a situation or relationship.

Choices to compromise never lead to lasting positive change. Probably, every person knows that, yet, we seem unwilling to compromising what we know is right. Why? The answer is for purely selfish reasons. Compromise is “selfish action.” In addition, as with any selfish action, it always results in some kind of negativity and pain.

Fear usually plays a significant role in compromise. Fear is a selfish emotion and a “selfish tool.” We often use fear to help us get what we want or to avoid what we do not want. We sometimes compromise because we fear judgment, rejection, or attack for not agreeing with others or for not conforming.

We sometimes compromise because we fear that we might not get as good a relationship or situation as we have now. We sometimes compromise because we fear losing control; a desire to control and manipulate always underlies a choice to compromise.

Were we not living in a selfish environment there would never be a need to compromise. However, since we live in selfish families and communities, we are constantly pressured to make compromises. The best policy is to work to compromise as little as possible. That choice is always possible, provided we are will to pay whatever price is attached to refusing to be in negative agreement with the people we regularly interact; even if it means rejection or worse.

Neil Mastellone, working with his co-researcher Jean Mastellone, has been actively investigating the causes of negative human behavior. For truly new perspectives and insights about the psychological dimensions of our humanity, our most influential relationships, and the roots of our earliest reactions which are the roots of our disorders and dysfunctional behavior patterns.

October 20th, 2011  Posted at   Mental Health
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Extent of the presence of symptoms related to the phenomenon of death is required to measure when someone wishes to evaluate this phenomenon’s impact. For that purpose, the research conducted in Bangladesh in the year 2003 on the impact and the variation of impact of the conception of death needed such measurement to evaluate the impact on the Muslims of Bangladesh. Thus symptoms described in the DSM-IV of the APA were taken in a checklist mainly from the sections that are related to adjustment problems, stress, and death. Number of symptoms present in a subject was assessed by the number of checkmarks given by the subject himself/herself on the checklist form containing the list of symptoms. This number was named as the Neurotic Symptom Score (NSS) for that subject. So simply, the self-declared number of the neurotic symptoms in a specific situation (stress of death) is the NSS for a specific subject.

The score can be ranging from zero to thirty-eight depending on the extent of presence of the following symptoms (for the last two weeks at least) -

1. Depressed mood

2. Diminished interest in all

3. Change of appetite with the change in body weight without any physical illness

4. Insomnia or hypersomnia

5. Fatigue or loss of energy

6. Feeling of worthlessness

7. Excessive or inappropriate guilt

8. Diminished ability to think

9. Diminished ability to concentrate

10. Indecisiveness

11. Recurrent thoughts of death

12. Suicidal ideation, plans, or attempts

13. Low self-esteem

14. Feeling of hopelessness

15. Palpitation

16. Sweating

17. Trembling

18. Shortness of breath or smothering sensation

19. Trouble swallowing

20. Chest pain or discomfort

21. Nausea or abdominal distress

22. Dizziness

23. Unsteady feeling or faintness

24. Depersonalization or derealization

25. Fear of going crazy

26. Fear of dying

27. Numbness or tingling sensation

28. Flashes or chills

29. Agoraphobia

30. Specific phobia

31. Avoidant behavior significantly interfering with social life

32. Obsessive thoughts

33. Compulsive activity

34. Excessive anxiety or worry, sometimes out of control

35. Restlessness

36. Irritability

37. Muscle tension or ache

38. Trouble falling or staying asleep

The checklist mentioning the above symptoms were provided to 150 Muslims of Bangladesh. After they check-marked and returned the form, the scores (number of check-marked symptoms) were tabulated and used for the research. Finally it yielded a good result that was also statistically significant. When the research was submitted to the supervising University’s academic board in Spain it was graded as an “excellent” research. (more…)

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