Give thanks for a happy heart

All too often, it's the simple, commonsense practices which turn out to deliver genuine therapeutic benefits, with little recognition.

That's why this latest piece of research, published by the American Psychological Association, is highly deserving of attention and should warm the cockles of all our hearts. Because what it demonstrates is the power of that elusive spiritual resource gratitude on the objective functioning of the heart.

The study examined 186 men and women, all of whom had been diagnosed with asymptomatic heart failure of at least three months duration.

Using standard psychometric testing, the researchers measured levels of 'gratitude' and 'spiritual wellbeing' and then compared these scores with subjects' levels of fatigue, depressive symptoms, sleep quality and sense of personal effectiveness. They also measured the level of inflammatory markers known to negatively impact heart failure.

What surprised them most was the extent to which gratitude, as distinct from spiritual wellbeing, was positively correlated with the variables being measured.

Lead author Paul Mills, PhD and Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, commenting on the findings said:

"We found that more gratitude in these patients was associated with better mood, less fatigue and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers related to cardiac health... It was the gratitude aspect of spirituality that accounted for those effects, not spirituality per se." 

To deepen their understanding of the findings, subjects were then asked to write down three things for which they were grateful, every day, for eight weeks. Those who kept the diaries showed reductions in circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers, as well as an increase in heart rate variability, which is associated with reduced cardiac risk.

So gratitude is good for your heart! It makes sense that focusing on the positive aspects of life can result in improved mental and, ultimately, physical health.

Therapists treating patients with depression have long used gratitude diaries to help address the negative mindset which often overwhelms. It is also a popular recommendation among twelve-step recovery groups of the type pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous.

What's special about this particular study is that it provides objective evidence of the impact of gratitude in the form of biological markers - satisfying the prevailing demands of 'evidence-based' medicine. All in all, extremely heartening.

Have you experienced the benefits of a systematic approach to gratitude, either for yourself or for a patient? If so, we'd love to hear from you.


Written by Jacqui Hogan

The power of gratitude

In the Western world, we live with an unprecedented level of material abundance. You just need to take a look down the high street at the preponderance of coffee shops and nail bars (alongside the ever-increasing army of estate agents) to gauge the generalised decadence of our way of life. Most of us want for very little and feel we're lagging behind unless we have the latest phone, gadget or holiday experience. Our society is geared up to fuel consumerism - if we want it we can have it, on credit if necessary.

A new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences sheds interesting light on the relationship between material satisfaction and satisfaction in life - it would appear that having our material needs met does not necessarily make for a happy life. You may not be surprised to know there is something else going on.

The researchers asked 246 participants to complete a questionnaire which measured 'need satisfaction', 'gratitude' and 'satisfaction in life'. What they discovered was that those who scored low on gratitude and high on need satisfaction were more likely to be less satisfied with their lives - in other words, their needs were satisfied but they were not.

The authors propose that gratitude is about an attitude of receptivity - the perception of receiving a gift from outside of ourselves. Because we are social creatures, when we extend our minds beyond our own  little worlds (which we necessarily do when we experience gratitude), we benefit with a sense of wellbeing.

They point out that people who are materialistic tend to be self-centred rather than interested in those around them, and are more likely to focus on what they don't have (and need to get in order to be satisfied). They are generally ungrateful for (or perhaps unaware of) what they do have, be it their health, family or job.

We're all familiar with the 'poor little rich kid' archetype and stories of eye-wateringly wealthy celebrities who wind up with lives imploding, in deep pits of addiction, depression and despair. We've never been able to buy our way out of these states because the problem is not material, but spiritual.

Personally, I find writing a gratitude list a powerful antidote if I'm feeling down - to itemise the many gifts which have been showered upon me is to acknowledge, for one thing, that I'm part of something bigger than me. An attitude of gratitude shifts the focus away from the things I think (erroneously) will make me happy and onto the things I already have. Gratitude, in my experience, uplifts the soul.

How important is gratitude? How do you think it relates to materialism? Is it possible to be materialistic and grateful? Is satisfaction in life possible without gratitude? Your thoughts and reflections gratefully received!

Written by Jacqui Hogan