Positive Psychology Archive

Learning to deal with stress can lower your risk for anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

The more we learn about women's hearts, the more we realize that they are different from men's. One of the most dramatic differences is a rare heart condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken-heart syndrome, that is nine times more common in women than in men. It has been cited as evidence that sudden emotional stress can actually cause death in some women.

Like a heart attack, takotsubo cardiomyopathy strikes suddenly with symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath; however, it does not involve clogged arteries. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is brought on by a surge of stress hormones that literally bend the heart out of shape. As a result, when the main pumping chamber of the heart (the left ventricle) contracts, it balloons out, so it can't eject blood into the arteries effectively.

Some intriguing research suggests that positive psychology can help you weather the routine ups and downs of life and also build resilience for times of greater difficulty.

Here are three ways to capture the benefits of positive psychology.

Over time, most people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (a decline in thinking skills) also experience behavioral changes, such as depression and agitation. Which comes first? A study published online by Neurology on Jan. 14, 2015, suggests that psychological and behavioral changes can begin before people develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Researchers evaluated the daily functioning, memory and thinking skills, and psychological and behavioral symptoms of about 2,400 people, ages 50 and older, who had no evidence of cognitive decline. The study also suggests that a pattern of depressive symptoms may occur in older adults, unrelated to cognitive decline. The takeaway? "Depressive symptoms can occur in older adults for many reasons. If you are experiencing mood or cognitive changes that last for more than a few weeks, it's a good idea to bring this up with your doctor or consult a mental health specialist to help sort out possible causes," says Dr. Nancy Donovan, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.