Sep 16 2009
Fun Science Fact: Relationships Crucial to Mental Health
Okay, “relationships key to mental health” is a bit of a d’uh! science fact. But the reason for this fact — that we are a preeminently social species — is something that merits highlighting. Ours is a culture that tends to proclaim and preach “it’s all about the individual.”
Additionally, the types of converging evidence is intriguing. The particular, new study, found this:
As children go back to school this fall, a new cross-cultural study finds that for both Chinese and American middle schoolers, students who feel supported by their teachers tend to have higher self-esteem, and those who don’t feel supported by fellow students are more likely to be depressed.
You may wonder how the variables feel supported and self-esteem were defined and measured. These are great questions, worthy of investigation. From a reading of the news release, my sense is that this study was a piece of softer science. But because its findings dovetail with so many other studies, I have some confidence in it.
