May is celebrated as Mental Health Awareness Month, especially in the US where I am writing this article from. Mental health is one of the major topics and at XSIGHTS, and we have carried out several research on it. Since it is the Mental Health month, I would love to share what we have learned with you:
The relationship between mental health and physical health has been known for quite a long time. In a study on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), the connection between childhood traumas and chronic diseases is examined with some striking results. The survey indicates that people who experienced 5 or more childhood traumas are more likely to suffer from poor health than those who have not. Below are some findings for the American population:
In terms of addiction;
- Risk of excessive alcohol consumption increased by %500
- Risk of having obesity-diabetes increased by %201
- Risk of smoking tobacco increased by %250
- Risk of contracting chronic pulmonary congestion disease increased by %399
In terms of risk of major diseases;
- Risk of having cancer increased by %157
- Risk of having cardiac disease increased by %285
- Risk of having a stroke increased by %281
- Risk of having joint inflammation increased by %236
- Risk of asthma increased by %230
In a different survey on mental health, It was indicated that one in every four individuals feel lonely. The primary reason for feeling lonely was identified as the inability to establish emotional connections with family members or friends, or to maintain the connections that are already established. While these results remind us of the importance of deep emotional connections, they also underline the necessity of establishing genuine, honest, and open communication with those around us. The results of this research indicates that “Tagging” and “Liking” are not enough to establish meaningful relationships; quality time, compassion and attention are still the most potent medicines we have against loneliness.
According to a story, a doctor was asked: what is the most effective medicine? He replied, ‘Love.’ What if it doesn’t work? they ask. He says, ‘Then increase the dose.
We wish you a new month where you increase your dose!.