14 DAY TRIAL // Happiness is a word many of us use to describe emotional states, and its meaning is clear to everyone. But, among scientists, determining a clear definition of the word proves to be a bit of a head scratcher. Finding out where the trait comes from is even more difficult. Some schools of thought propose a genetic origin for happiness, as in parents passing on predispositions to their children, while others believe that people develop the state of mind over the years. There are of course those who propose a mixed approach to determining its origins, and argue for a combination of the two theories.
Recently, at the World Congress on Psychosomatic Medicine, held in Torino, Italy, the current progress in the field of happiness research has been discussed. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSL) professor of Psychiatry Robert Cloninger, speaking at the scientific gathering, presented new data on the correlations that were inferred to exist between the state of mind and inherited personality traits. He also illustrated how the connections can be changed over the years, as the genetic predispositions shift or evolve, AlphaGalileo reports.
The professor argued that enhancing positive emotions, character development, life satisfaction, and spirituality should be one of the key focuses of psychiatry today, rather than medication. He says that preventing the development of medical conditions such as depression should be the field of research's main goal. Cloninger also argued that, practically speaking, psychiatry has failed to reach its main objective, namely to elevate the level of well-being and happiness in the general population, in spite of the millions of dollars poured in psychotropic drugs and psychotherapy manuals.
The expert also revealed that a simple method for enhancing mental health would be to integrate biological, psychological, social, and spiritual methods into prevention therapies, rather than in actual treatments for already-developed conditions. Some of the things holding people back from happiness, the expert reveals, is their ability to accept the fact that they have limitations, as well as the countless fears and phobias most of us have. A catalytic sequence of clinical methods could be used to counteract these factors, the professor concluded.