Need for whole brain education may be greater now than ever before
It's easy to see how people these days can experience ill mental health, considering the prevalence of alcohol and drug use, mind-numbing entertainment on television and the general distractions that can get in the way of a clear, pure thought process.
Perhaps as a result of these negative influences, researchers have found that the number of non-elderly people reporting mental health disability has been higher in recent years than the rates recorded for the late 1990s.
In a study, scientists from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that an estimated 2.7 percent of people were on mental health disability from 2007 through 2009, compared to 2 percent of individuals from 1997 through 1999. This equates to an increase of nearly one half, which researchers said amounts to an additional 2 million people.
"These findings highlight the need for improved access to mental health services in our communities and for better integration of these services with primary care delivery," said lead author Ramin Mojtabai, M.D., Ph.D. "While the trend in self-reported mental health disability is clear, the causes of this trend are not well understood."
Author and philosopher Ilchi Lee believes that whole brain education techniques may help people strengthen their minds, embracing the positive and eliminating the negative. Lee says that many of today's mental illnesses stem from an inundation of superficial or harmful stimuli, but that there are many ways in which people can cleanse their minds.
For instance, the benefits of engaging in meditation when stressed are well-documented. Studies have shown that the practice is effective at helping people gain a sense of clarity in a world full of distractions.
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Tags: benefits of meditation, benefits of meditation when stressed, Brain education, whole brain education
