An Open Letter to non-believers in Paternal Postnatal Depression

Dear Non-Believers:

This past week you have frantically scurried about the Internet from website to website, trolling and tweeting reactions to each story in regards to Dr. James F. Paulson’s study about Paternal Prenatal and Postnatal Depression. The Wall-Street Journal, CNN, The NY Times, you name it, you have been there to broadcast your point of view. And praise God we live in a country in which we can do so without fear of persecution!

You have been discursive, doltish, dismissive, disrespectful, and disheartening. Your dedication to refuting this news is mind-numbingly astounding. The diversity of the comments has been absolutely amazing. It is mind-boggling how truly open-minded the internet has made you. You are passionate about episiotomies and woman giving birth vaginally. You know everything there is to know about hormones and their relation to Postpartum Depression for women. And clearly you know more than the researchers because according to you, the cause of Paternal Postnatal Depression is due to sleep deprivation, lack of sexual gratification from a woman who’s just given birth, and jealousy of all the attention showered on the new baby.

Parenthood is tough. Get over it, you have so sagely said over and over again in a myriad of ways to all the depressed dads out there. I bet you know at least 10 dads. Well guess what? At least one of them is depressed. Can you tell who? I am willing to guess no, no you cannot. Do you want to apologize to him for whatever it was that you said at the CNN website? No?

Let me apologize for you. And then let me say something very important to you for him.

I forgive you.

I.forgive.YOU.

Because one day you may be the one person who finds themselves in the arena staring down a big bad ass bull named Depression. And guess what? That bull doesn’t just politely knock on your door, shrug it’s shoulders when you say it’s not a good time. No, no no, that bull is a bit more like a SWAT team with a battering ram. He’s coming into your life whether you like it or not. And his ass is staying. You’ll be lucky if you have anything left standing by the time he’s done with your place. And I can guarantee you won’t appreciate the renovation. It’s loud. Deafening. Especially at 2am when you so desperately want to be asleep but instead you are up bawling your eyes out with Junior who is convinced it is time to play with his jungle gym mat. There is no greater sense of loneliness anywhere on the planet than to be a depressed parent. NONE! Everything you thought you were, thought you held dear, thought you could once be – gone. Broken into pieces so tiny it will be impossible to rebuild. But somehow you will. Somehow you will pick yourself up off that damned floor (once the bull has left the building, that is), survey the wreckage and be forced to make a decision.

Will you let yourself shatter?

OR

Will you cling to the walls for support until you find a hand reaching out? Will you take that hand, take a deep breath and rebuild? Will you let the terror and fear fade? Will you be man enough to dig yourself out of this hell? Man enough to take care of yourself and want to BE there for your family? Man enough to walk away from the darkness now surrounding you and slowly creeping toward your family?

Well? Will you?

The kicker is that you will not know the answer to these questions until your Bull comes bursting into your life.

May you never meet him.

But in the meantime, do not judge those of us who have. For we, WE have fought the good fight. We have been through hell. We have pulled ourselves through it. Some of us lost our battle. But those of us who are still here have learned valuable lessons we want to pass on to other fathers. We want to share. We want to speak up. We do not muzzle ourselves because of ignorance, mis-information, and judgment.

We deserve to be heard. We deserve compassion. We deserve not to be called “girly men” because we had depression and cried.

Because it’s okay for a man to cry. It’s okay for a man to seek help. It’s okay. It’s OKAY.

Being a man isn’t all about swilling beer, football, hockey, basketball or any other kind of ball.

Once you have a family, it’s about taking care of them. And in order to take good care of your family, you must first take good care of yourself no matter what the cost.

Being a father means being present. It means reading to your kids, it means playing with your kids, it means providing companionship and love to your wife, and contributing overall to caring for the household. You cannot do any of those things if you are depressed and choose not to seek help.

When you judge a man for depression you drive a stake between he and his family. When you judge a man for crying, you cut off a source of release for him. When you judge a man for seeking therapy, you might as well be writing him off altogether.

Please, don’t judge.

I dare you to care. I dare you to ask how that new dad in your life is feeling. Ask if he’s overwhelmed. Ask how you can help. Not when, not let me know – but how. And then follow through. Be present. Encourage self-care. Support new families. It doesn’t take much.

In fact, if everyone would pour as much energy into supporting new parents as they did tearing them down for feeling down, I think we might have a fighting chance at beating this.

Warmest,

Lauren Hale

Postpartum OCD Survivor (2X)

Wife to a Paternal Postnatal Depression Survivor

Postpartum Advocate & Peer Supporter

More than 1 in 10 new dads struggle with depression says new JAMA study

The May 19, 2010 edition of the Journal of American Medical Association will include research from Dr. James F. Paulson, Ph.D of Eastern Virginia Medical School examining the rates of Paternal Prenatal and Postnatal depression and it’s correlation with Maternal Depression.

After researching 43 studies involving over 28,000 participants fitting their parameters, Dr. James F. Paulson and associate researcher Sharnail D. Bazemore, MS, drew the conclusion that more than 1 in 10 new dads struggle with depression within 3 to 6 months of becoming a father. Interestingly, Paulson and Bazemore included studies examining depression in fathers as early as the first trimester of a pregnancy of a partner. The studies spanned from 1980 to 2009, nearly 20 years of research.

Prenatal and Postnatal Depression was determined to be present in 10% of the cases studied. Postnatal depression spiked between a 3-6 month period and seemed to correlate with a maternal experience of Postnatal Depression

Other mentions of this research across the web today include:

Joel Schwartzberg @ Huffington Post : Postpartum Depression in Men: One Dad’s Story

Joanne Silberner with NPR: Study Finds Dads Suffer Postpartum Depression, Too (There will also be an on-air version tonight on the program All Things Considered. Audio will be available at 7pm ET or shortly thereafter)

Megan Brooks with Reuters: Dads get postpartum depression too: study

Good Morning America Segment via ABC: Postpartum Depression for New Fathers

Depression in men surrounding pregnancy and infancy is rarely discussed. But if the numbers for this research proves to be right, the rate at which these dads are struggling is higher than those of women with depression. While the basis may not be biological as recent research with maternal depression is proving, there is indeed something going on with new dads that needs further exploring.

Perhaps most notable of this research is that Dr. Paulson is an associate professor in Pediatrics. I applaud Dr. Paulson for recognizing the importance of Parental Depression in the lives of our children and hope more pediatric specialists including practitioners and researchers alike would become more involved in helping parents struggling with depression heal.

If you or a new father you love may be struggling with depression during the pregnancy of or the birth of your child, there is help. Dr. William Courtenay runs the Postpartum Men website. There you can find information on symptoms, resources, and a message board to connect with other struggling dads. There is no shame in speaking up. You owe it to yourself, to your child, to your family. You are not alone.

Men less likely to seek help for depression

Canadian researcher Aline Drapeau of the University of Montreal published a study back in February which examined the typical mental-health seeking habits of a group of men and women.

Turns out men are less likely to seek help for depression or other light to moderate mental health issues than women. Normally this type of behavior is attributed to cultural differences but this result crossed cultural boundaries. Researchers surmised this behavior may be due to social gender expectations. Men may fear being stigmatized and exposing feminine emotions by seeking out help for mental illness issues. Researchers also discovered professional anchorage may have something to do with the desire for seeking mental health care.

The reason this particular study is so important is because although women have a much higher rate of suicide attempts, men have a much higher rate of successful suicide. If men were more comfortable with seeking help their suicide rate would drop. Men are more likely to use violent and agressive methods of suicide which may account for the vast disparate in completion rates between men and women. Women are also more likely to talk things through with friends and loved ones than men.

The key point to take away here is that if you are male and struggling with depression please seek help. You owe it to yourself, your family and your loved ones. Mental health services exist for everyone and should be completely confidential. If you wonder about your rights as a mental health patient you can click here for a copy of your rights.

Paternal Depression during Pregnancy related to Excessive Infant Crying

Colic. Every parent’s nightmare.

At the hospital, everything’s cool. Baby coos, you ahhh, nurses help.

But once you bring baby home and through that front door, you’re all on your own. Heaven help you once all hell breaks loose.

Baby’s screaming, your bladder is full, tummy is rumbling, the dog has to go outside NOW, the phone starts to ring, the UPS guy is dropping off a super-belated gift from Aunt Martha, and oh yeah, the cable guy is here because for some reason the cable isn’t working. And don’t forget dear little Tommy banging his plastic chiming hammer against the china cabinet while contemplating peeing in the floor along with the dog (who, by the way, is now barking up a storm at the UPS guy knocking on the door).

Once you get the UPS package inside intact, ignore the phone (that’s why you have voicemail, right?), take the dog AND Tommy outside to pee after strapping the still-screaming baby to your chest, you start to breathe again. Sort of.

Three hours later, baby’s still crying and you’re half-way to bald as you desperately google “How to make a baby stop crying.” Change the diaper. Check. Feed. Check. Burp. Check. Rock. Check. Sing. Check. CHECK CHECK CHECK!

A colicky baby is enough to make even the sanest of parents wish for a pair of Bose Silencing Headphones. But they’re the lucky ones. Yes, I said lucky ones.

You see, depressed parents are almost two times more likely to have a colicky baby than non-depressed parents. Hey – kinda like hitting the lottery, right? But wait – does the colic cause the depression? Nope. According to Mijke van den Berg, a child psychiatrist at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, the parents were screened for depression before birth.

So what’s the deal then?

Dr. van den Berg states that her study is not definitive and more information is needed to draw a firmer conclusion. But the conclusion to me doesn’t really seem fair to depressed dads. It lays on an even bigger guilt trip. Or perhaps this would serve as motivation to seek therapy if your wife gets pregnant  – yanno – to avoid the whole unexplained screaming for more than three hours a day baby thing. Wouldn’t that be the chivalrous thing to do, especially if you’re the one working?

By the time baby gets here, moms and dads are already worn thin. Why on earth would we get a colicky baby to top things off? For fun?

Bottom line here folks, if you’re feeling gloomy, angry, irritated or upset and finding it’s interfering with your daily routine for more than a couple of weeks, please seek help. Talk to someone, anyone. Even if it’s a casual mention to your wife’s OB. He or she may be able to refer you to a trained professional. It’s not shameful to get help. It’s powerful. It’s the right thing to do…for you and for your kid.

(Click here for the study abstract)

Searching for Health Information Online: The Good vs. the Bad

If you’ve landed here as a result of a Google, Yahoo,  Bing, or other search engine, you already know how many results you can get in mere seconds and even sometimes nano-seconds. Thousands! So you wade through the results hoping for reliable and trustworthy information to help with your current situation. Unfortunately, not everything out there is reliable and trustworthy. And even if it is reliable and trustworthy, you should ALWAYS check with a professional prior to implementing or stopping any treatment.

Here are some general tips to help you tell the good from the bad (source: Medical Library Association):

1. Sponsorship

• Can you easily identify the site sponsor? Sponsorship is important because it helps establish the site as respected and dependable. Does the site list advisory board members or consultants? This may give you further insights on the credibility of information published on the site.
• The web address itself can provide additional information about the nature of the site and the sponsor’s intent.
  • A government agency has .gov in the address.
  • An educational institution is indicated by .edu in the address.
  • A professional organization such as a scientific or research society will be identified as .org. For example, the American Cancer Society’s website is http://www.cancer.org/.
  • Commercial sites identified by .com will most often identify the sponsor as a company, for example Merck & Co., the pharmaceutical firm.
• What should you know about .com health sites? Commercial sites may represent a specific company or be sponsored by a company using the web for commercial reasons—to sell products. At the same time, many commercial websites have valuable and credible information. Many hospitals have .com in their address. The site should fully disclose the sponsor of the site, including the identities of commercial and noncommercial organizations that have contributed funding, services, or material to the site.

2. Currency

• The site should be updated frequently. Health information changes constantly as new information is learned about diseases and treatments through research and patient care. websites should reflect the most up-to-date information.
• The website should be consistently available, with the date of the latest revision clearly posted. This usually appears at the bottom of the page.

3. Factual information

• Information should be presented in a clear manner. It should be factual (not opinion) and capable of being verified from a primary information source such as the professional literature, abstracts, or links to other web pages.
• Information represented as an opinion should be clearly stated and the source should be identified as a qualified professional or organization.

4. Audience

• The website should clearly state whether the information is intended for the consumer or the health professional.
• Many health information websites have two different areas – one for consumers, one for professionals. The design of the site should make selection of one area over the other clear to the user.

MLA’s guidelines are an excellent starting point and should be used by anyone searching for Medical information on the internet. Many caregivers will also tell you to not search the web for information, especially if you have a Postpartum Mood Disorder. If you have a question and feel overwhelmed with doing research on your own, get in touch with a Postpartum Support International Coordinator, your midwife, or your doctor, and ask for help in doing research. Sometimes you may come across research or news stories that are not applicable to your situation that may cause triggering thoughts or increase your fear and anxiety without justification. This is especially important for parents struggling with a Psychosis or OCD diagnosis.

I also want to take a moment to mention that a good doctor or advocate will be compassionate, understanding, and work with you regarding your desired route of treatment. Good Caregivers and Advocates are able to stay objective and not allow personal experience to cloud their aid to those who seek their help. This does not dismiss advocates who have specialized knowledge of certain types of treatment however – what I mean by this statement is that if you approach and advocate with a question regarding an Anti-Depressant, they should direct you to research regarding that particular medication and encourage you to also speak with your caregiver. They should NOT bash said medication because they’ve had a bad experience with it. If the caregiver or advocate is not compassionate and instead dismiss or attack your desired treatment methods, it’s time to find another caregiver or advocate for support.

As a Postpartum Support International Coordinator myself, I work very hard to support the journey the family is on and the treatment route that best fits with their personal philosophy. I encourage the involvment of professionals – including  the OB, midwife, general practitioner, a psychiatrist, and a therapist. I also encourage Moms and Dads to take time for themselves, something we all forget to do from time to time, but is very important for our mental well-being.

So please remember to:

Thoroughly check the source of the information you are reading online using the above guidelines from the Medical Library Association.

Double-check any information regarding starting treatment or stopping treatment with your professional caregiver prior to implementation.

Make sure your caregiver respects your opinion regarding your or your wife’s body/mind. (You both are of course, the #1 expert in this area!) If he/she doesn’t, although it may be difficult, find another caregiver who DOES respect you!

Take time for yourselves as you heal.

Couples Cope in different ways to death of Premature Infant

Our previous post provided insight into a father’s point of view during miscarriage.

Today we look at small study examining the difference of reaction when a couple loses a premature infant.

Through intensive interviews with six couples who had experienced infant loss, the researchers found that the couples still held the infant at a central place in their lives up to six years after their loss. How the grief and suffering is shared seems to greatly depend on the level of emotional communication exchange between partners.

The primary researcher, Stefan Buchi, M.D., states “It is natural to grieve alone, but if a couple is not communicating about the loss of their baby within the first year after death, I would encourage them to seek professional help.”

Most interesting though is that among the “discordant” couples, or those not communicating about the loss of their child, the father seemed to be at the greatest disadvantage. “Men don’t talk about being sad,” shares Stefan.

The researchers also found that sharing the grief increased intimacy and the feeling of belonging whereas not sharing seemed to isolate each parent.

You can read more about the study by clicking here.

The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act moves to Senate H.E.L.P. Committee

Here’s Susan Stone’s blog post about the MOTHER’S Act moving into the Senate. Please contact the Senators on the committee to voice your support in addition to contacting your own senator!

After passing by an enormous bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives on Monday, March 30th, The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act has moved to the powerful U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee where it will be “marked up” in the near future.

In addition to adding your name to the state by state listing of national supporters on PerinatalPro, you can email members of the Senate HELP committee at

help_comments@help.senate.gov

Below are the members of the H.E.L.P. committee, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy chairs this committee and is an ardent supporter of this legislation. And Barack Obama was the first presidential candidate to endorse this legislation! With healthcare reform at the center of senate activity, our issue must be heard!

Lisa Murkowski, AK (R) 202-224-6665
John McCain, (AZ) (R) 202-224-2235
Christopher Dodd (CT) (D) 202-224-2823
Johnny Isakson (GA) (R) 202-224-3643
Tom Harkin (IA) (D) 202-224-3254
Pat Roberts (KS) (R) 202-224-4774
Edward Kennedy (MA) (D) 202-224-4543
Barbara Mikulski (MD) (D) 202-224-4654
Richard Burr (NC) (R) 202-224-3154
Kay Hagan (NC) (D) 202-224-6342
Gregg Judd (NH) (R) 202-224-3324
Jeff Bingaman (NM) (D) 202-224-5521
Sherrod Brown (OH) (D) 202-224-2315
Tom Coburn (OK) (R) 202-224-5754
Jeff Merkley (OR) (D) 202-224-3753
Bob Casey (PA) (D) 202-224 6324
Jack Reed (RI) (D) 202-224-4642
Alexander Lamar (TN) (R) 202-224-4944
Orrin Hatch (UT) (R) 202-224-5251
Bernard Sanders (VT) (I) 202-224-5141
Patty Murray (WA) (D) 202-224-2621
Michael Enzi (WY) (R) 202-224-3424

You may call their offices directly to proclaim your support (and you don’t have to be from their state!).

The momentum is growing! In the last few weeks S 324 has picked up additional powerful sponsorship by some of our nation’s most respected professional organizations! We are also grateful to the group who opposes this legislation, because the controversy has catalyzed more scrutiny of the bill’s language, purpose, and initiatives, bringing more educated constituents to our mission and more support for its passage! The bill’s noble purpose is clear to all who read its life saving initiatives.

Many constituents have sent their personal stories which are so inspirational and speak to the unique courage and shared compassion of those who have survived these disorders. The message is the same… they don’t ever want another person to have to suffer like their wife, mother, sister, friend or themselves. They want it to end. With your continued support we will begin to turn the tide this year toward primary prevention.

Paternal Behavior & Health Study enters Data Analysis stage

Dr. Peter Gray over at the UNLV Anthropology Department is conducting a study examining Paternal Behavior and Health. The study will examine the health and well-being of fathers of young children and their perceptions of maternal psychiatric complications.

According to the project’s consent form page, you are eligible to participate in this study if you are a father between the ages of 18-40 years and have children between the ages of 0-4 years. In contact via email, Dr. Gray stated he expects the study to continue through at least this spring.

Recruitment for this study has been concluded; data analysis has begun. Results are anticipated this fall.

SPEAKing with Brian Dombrowski

Thursday is interview day over at Unexpected Blessing. Today’s interview is with Natalie Dombrowski, Brian’s wife. I thought it would be wonderful if I could start getting both husband and wife to grant interviews and I am happy to start with the Dombrowskis. Natalie has a book coming out, Back to You, that details her Postpartum journey. She also has a project, SPEAK, in which she gives presentations and encourages other moms to speak up about their experience in order to educate others. Brian agreed to answer the interview questions here at Postpartum Dads Project and I am very grateful and honored to be able to share his responses with you. Thank you Brian for being open and for your willingness to let other fathers into your world even if just for a few moments.

Did PPD occur at the birth of your first child?  Do you have other children in which PPD did not occur?

Yes PPD occurred at the birth of my first child; it was about five weeks after when my wife was hospitalized. The signs were there all along (knowing that now), but at the time it just seems like Natalie was having a hard time adjusting and I told her that it will be fine and you will get used to it. We have no other children.

How old were you when you child was born?  Do you think age was a factor on the PPD or your response?

I was twenty nine when my son was born. As far as age is concerned with PPD; Natalie and I have been talking and noticing that some women that she encounters that had PPD were in their thirties. I am not a doctor but if your mind and body have been the same for thirty years and then you get pregnant which changes a woman’s body in the first place and then throw a traumatic birth into it, I believe that it would be a factor. As far as age in my response; I don’t go by age I go by experience. My response once we knew that Natalie was sick was (let’s get her better). My Dad passed away from a terminal illness and I was very involved with helping my Ma and getting the most information and help he could so that he was comfortable. I know the situation with Natalie and my Dad were different; but I knew how to react and respond.

Are you married or unmarried?  Do you think your marital status played a part in the PPD?

Yes we are married. We are in a committed relationship and the wedding vows that I took were “in sickness and health”. To those that are married and hold it sacred there is something about being married because that person is very special and you would never want to see anything wrong with that person and you will do whatever you can to help. That could even be the case with a parent and child. I don’t think that the martial status would change PPD. But I do believe that a woman that has PPD needs someone to support her regardless of who it is.

Were there any special circumstances surrounding birth of child? (ie, NICU, other children with special needs, life events such as death, changing job, moving, etc)

Yes there were special circumstances involved in my sons birth. The doctor broke the water bag to speed up the delivery but my son went to the bathroom inside her. Then his heartbeat was dropping and fluctuating when Natalie started to shake and spiked a very high fever. The doctor and nurse came in and told us our options, wait it out with complications or do an emergency c-section. My response was “what are we waiting for?” It was scary waiting out in that dark hallway wondering what in the world was going on and thought I was going to loose either one of them? He was born and she was unable to see him because she needed to get her fever down, and that was for twenty four hours. I did con the nurses into bringing him in an incubator so she could see him because I saw how upset she was. Both of them were in bad shape for those twenty four hours, he was connected to all these monitors and IV’s and what have you, and Natalie still had a fever. But the next morning it was like a miracle happened and they both had this recovery and were able to be together at last.

Did you seek treatment?  What did you find most effective and least effective?

Yes I sought treatment. At first I spoke to our family friend who is a priest then once Natalie was well on her way to recovery I started to see how much it had affected me; so I saw a counselor twice a month for about four months. Having a third party to listen helped me a lot, the counselor really never said too much but stared me in the proper direction to make sense of it all.

Did Faith/Religion play a role in your experience? If so, do you think it was a positive role or negative role? Please explain.

Yes faith played a role. Like I said in the previous question I spoke to a priest because what was going on was surreal. I left my wife of ten months in some hospital; I have a newborn to take care of; I needed to have faith and I knew that he would help me see that things would get better as long as I believed and kept the faith. I had to convince myself of this numerous times, but I never let Natalie know no different “It will get better!”

Did you/will you have additional children after your depressive episode?  (Was it/Is it an issue between you and your spouse?)

Natalie and I have talked about having another child, the answer is still pending. I always wanted more than one child but to go thought what happened again, I just don’t think I have it in me. I would never want to see my wife go thought that again. But now that we are educated and aware; if she does become pregnant we will know what signs to look for and how to resolve them and where and how to get help if needed. Communication is vital in this area and you need to be very open; if you do, you don’t or even if you are unsure you need to talk it out! I also remind myself that every situation is different and it will be different experience.

How has PPD affected your marriage?  What were the short term impacts and the long term impacts?

Yes PPD affected our marriage. I didn’t realize it at first because when she was in her recovery I forgot about myself and was taking care of her and my son and that was my main priority and that was it. So as Natalie got better I was feeling resentment because I felt that she didn’t appreciate what I did for her, so I got angry. Made an ass out of myself one night at my thirtieth birthday party and started to realize that I had a problem and I was acting out because I knew that she was getting better. About a month later is when I sought help. I learned a lot about my wife through this and I believe that there is good in every situation and you might not know it at the time but you will be able to figure it out someday. It has made our relationship stronger it really tested us but after the dust settled we realized our happiness as husband and wife and as a family with our son.

What lessons did you learn from dealing with PPD that you would like to share with other dads?

The lesson that I could tell a man that is going though this with his wife is listen, keep a very open mind and hold her tight; she needs you now more than ever! You need to be that rock, that shoulder to cry on, and you have to take on many responsibilities; even being mister mom! But you need to take care of yourself also, have someone to talk to, have an outlet because this is affecting you, might not see it or want to admit it, but take care of yourself too; it is not being selfish you need to stay strong for your wife’s recovery.

What helped you cope with PPD and what would you suggest to other dads?

Being very involved from the start of my wife’s recovery helped me cope. I did a lot of research on PPD to help me understand what was going on. Stay educated, have someone to talk to and communicate with your wife because you are both going though this.

Do you have any suggestions for communicating with your wife during this period?  Any mistakes you made that others should avoid?

Like I said earlier keep an open mind and heart, you will see an array of emotions. Keep your cool, it is a sickness and your wife needs time to heal. Stay positive things will get better and you must tell her that numerous times a day. Most important is to listen and let her talk, be supportive and communicate with her. Don’t get mad at her, she has a sickness that she could not control, she does appreciate you and all that you do; she might not say it or show it but she will once she has recovered.

Happiness

I’m subscribed to a really cool daily newsletter service. It’s over at Delancey Place. This particular newsletter service sends you an excerpt on a topic each morning. The topics have ranged from Charlie Brown to Recession to Marco Polo to Babe Ruth. It’s pretty wide ranging and intensely fascinating especially if you’re like me and love to know random little facts you can spout off at the drop of a hat.

Today’s excerpt was on Happiness and comes from a recently published study done by a Harvard Professior and documented in the British Medical Journal regarding how the moods of those around us affect our own mood and outlooks on life. He studied a group of over 4700 people and the effects of happiness within social network over the course of 20 years. Without further ado, here’s the excerpt as I received it in my mail this morning:

In today’s excerpt-happiness is contagious, and it is more contagious than unhappiness. In a twenty-year study of over 4700 individuals, Harvard professor Nicholas Cristakis carefully examined the effects of happiness within a social network, and documented the results in the British Medical Journal. The following is excerpted from the much more detailed paper presented in a recent issue of that journal:

“Emotional states can be transferred directly from one individual to another by mimicry and ’emotional contagion,’ perhaps by the copying of emotionally relevant bodily actions, particularly facial expressions, seen in others. People can ‘catch’ emotional states they observe in others over time frames ranging from seconds to weeks. For example, students randomly assigned to a mildly depressed room-mate became increasingly depressed over a three month period, and the possibility of emotional contagion between strangers, even those in ephemeral contact, has been documented by the effects of ‘service with a smile’ on customer satisfaction and tipping. …

“While there are many determinants of happiness, whether an individual is happy also depends on whether others in the individual’s social network are happy. Happy people tend to be located in the centre of their local social networks and in large clusters of other happy people. The happiness of an individual is associated with the happiness of people up to three degrees removed in the social network. Happiness, in other words, is not merely a function of individual experience or individual choice but is also a property of groups of people. Indeed, changes in individual happiness can ripple through social networks and generate large scale structure in the network, giving rise to clusters of happy and unhappy individuals. These results are even more remarkable considering that happiness requires close physical proximity to spread and that the effect decays over time. …

“These models show that happy alters (friends) consistently influence [an individual’s] happiness more than unhappy alters, and only the total number of happy alters remains significant in all specifications. In other words, the number of happy friends seems to have a more reliable effect on ego happiness than the number of unhappy friends. Thus, the social network effect of happiness is multiplicative and asymmetric. …

“All these relations indicate the importance of physical proximity, and the strong influence of neighbours suggests that the spread of happiness might depend more on frequent social contact than deep social connections. …

“Happiness spreads significantly more through same sex relationships than opposite sex relationships. …

“Conclusions: Human happiness is not merely the province of isolated individuals. … The better connected are one’s friends and family, the more likely one will attain happiness in the future. … People’s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected. This provides further justification for seeing happiness, like health, as a collective phenomenon.”

James H Fowler and Nicholas A Christakis, “Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study,”British Medical Journal, 4 December 2008.