Blog - Western State Hospital Internship Program

August 08 2016

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: Effects of Multitasking

Many business leaders think of multitasking as a great asset and they envision employees who can get more work accomplished. People also believe that the Millennial generation (ages 18 to 34) is better equipped to juggle multiple tasks. For the most part this is true. Millennials are known for being adept with all forms of technology and moving from one job to another, shifting between priorities with relative ease. Most employers post “The ability to multitask” as a skill on several job openings. Unfortunately, the latest research conducted in psychology and business productivity suggests we have gotten it all wrong.

The average Millennial switches their attention among media platforms 27 times per hour. Research shows that performing a mental task while multitasking yields similar results to performing the same task if you got no sleep the previous night. Additionally, prolonged multitasking will actually damage your brain. Regular multitaskers have less brain density in areas controlling cognitive and emotional functions. Alternating between tasks will lower your emotional intelligence. If you are switching your gaze from your laptop to your smartphone to a TV screen and back again, you stand to miss a lot of subtle nonverbal signals from the person you are talking with simultaneously. Researchers revealed that the brain cannot effectively handle more than two complex related activities at once.

Multitasking doesn’t always live up to the dream. Instead, it tends to mean a lack of focus and an increase in impulsivity. Experts predicted that the impact of networked living on youth today will increase their desire for instant gratification, cause them to settle for quick choices, and cause them to lack patience. Researchers at Stanford University conducted a famous experiment 50 years ago where children were given the chance to eat a single marshmallow immediately, or wait until someone returned later, at which point they would receive a second marshmallow. The kids were tracked later in life and it turns out those who waited for that second marshmallow fared much better than those who chose instant gratification. The participants who did not wait were more likely to have behavioral problems, be obese, use drugs and spend time in jail.

There’s a financial cost, too. Lack of productivity due to multitasking equates to global losses of $450 million per year and Millennial job-hopping costs the U.S. economy more than $30 million per year. Nearly nine out of ten Millennials plan to stay in a job less than three years and 21 percent say they have changed jobs in the past year. While the average job tenure for all workers 25 and older is 5.5 years, it is only three years for Millennials. The cost of job-hopping to employers is not marginal, either. The loss of one Millennial employee runs between $15,000 to $25,000, for most companies.

In terms of the turnover issue, employers can discourage Millennials from leaving too soon by offering finite terms of employment from the get-go. Giving Millennials a sense of purpose through meaningful work and projects that require a variety of skills has been shown to deter job-hopping. To help reduce the effects of multitasking, you should schedule blocks of uninterrupted time. There is time management method called the Pomodoro Technique that allows you to work for 25-minute chunks of time and then take a five-minute break. During this time you focus all your attention on a single task and take short breaks as a way to increase focus and productivity. Lastly, you can increase the ability to focus, concentrate, and reduce stress throughout the day by practicing either (or better yet, both) yoga or meditation. However you choose to do it, cutting back on or eliminating multitasking is well worth the effort. You will work more productively and finish tasks more quickly.

References:
Clapp, W., Rubens, M., Sabharwal, J., Gazzaley, A. (2011). Deficit in switching between functions underlies the impact of multitasking memory in older adults. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 108(17), 7212-7217.

Sanbonmatsu, D., Strayer, D., Medeiros-Ward, N., Watson, J. (2013). Who multi-tasks and why? Multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. PLOSOne. 8(1), e54402.

Zetlin, M. (2016, July 30). Constant Multitasking Is Damaging Millennial Brains, Research Shows. Retrieved from: http://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/constant-multitasking-is-damaging-millennial-brains-research-shows.html

Jonathan Torres, M.S.
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

August 08 2016

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: What Exactly Does Psychosomatic Mean?

When patients who are presenting to physicians for treatment hear the word “psychosomatic” they usually feel immediately discredited. This term is often followed by a referral to see a psychologist, which patients often do not choose to do.

First, the term psychosomatic means something different to physicians and most patients than it does to psychologists and mental health professionals. When physicians resort to telling patients they feel their condition is psychosomatic, it is often after much frustration and perceived treatment failures. Physicians note that these patients report very high levels of symptomatology, but testing and evaluations cannot identify concrete pathology. Physicians may also notice that patients seem to be reporting higher levels of symptoms than what seems to make sense in light of physical findings. The model that many physicians were trained in (Cartesian Model) creates a mindset that all medical conditions can be diagnosed with a methodical and logical approach. If this approach yields no solid support to reported symptoms, the problem is determined to be psychosomatic—or essentially not real. Laypeople (patients) typically identify the term psychosomatic in the same context. It can be a painful word for patients to hear and understand, and they often feel insulted by the resultant referral to see a psychologist.

Psychologists do not identify the term psychosomatic the same way as physicians and patients may define it. Many psychologists conceptualize health problems from a multi-faceted approach in which physical and biological conditions interact with their environment. “Somatic” research generally approaches physical conditions as inseparable from the mind. This under no circumstances means that psychologists think “every problem” is in the mind. In fact, it means that all systems in which a person functions interact with each other. Chronic pain is an example of a problem in which many systems interact. Emotions have been identified as one factor in decreasing pain tolerance, and biological changes can result from emotional state. So, feelings can make pain worse, and worsening pain increases emotional issues—and the problems can spiral.

Explaining to patients that seeing a psychologist is a part of treatment for medical conditions and not a result of practitioners deciding that patients are “faking” or “just emotional,” may help facilitate following up with recommendations. Patients who experience chronic illnesses often feel very misunderstood and disrespected, and more could be done to help patients understand that psychologists may be an instrumental part of their healthcare. This simple step could result in significant improvements in overall outcome for many conditions.

Rain Smith, MS
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

August 08 2016

Article Review: The role of psychological symptoms and social group memberships in the development of post-traumatic stress after traumatic injury [Jones et. al. British Journal of Health Psychology(2012) 17, 798-811]

Jones et. al (2012) points out that traumatic injury can be linked with later development of PTSD. It does not seem surprising that PTSD is common after a major physical trauma resulting in orthopedic injuries (OI) or acquired brain injury (ABI). Unknown variables included which factors might mitigate or limit the development of PTSD after traumatic injury.

Jones et.al. discussed the social identity model. The social identity approach looks at how one’s social group memberships contribute to health outcomes. Jones et. al. evaluated two injury groups (OI and ABI) at 2 weeks and again at three months after discharge. The participants were given The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to assess somatic symptoms. The Exeter Identity Transition Scales (EXITS) were utilized to assess sense of belonging, connection and support. Finally the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ) was given to assess post traumatic symptomatology.

The researchers found that group memberships seemed to effect OI and ABI differently. Injuries that caused long term life changes seemed to have reduced trauma symptoms when new group membership after the injury was developed. An example of “new group membership” would be joining an ABI support group. The authors theorized that membership in a group that facilitated the changes involved allowed patients to better adjust to their new life circumstances.

Jones et. al suggested that for injuries with higher levels of long term disabilities, trauma symptoms may be reduced by health care personnel making appropriate referrals to community services and groups.

References
Jones et. al (2012). The role of psychological symptoms and social group memberships in the development of post-traumatic stress after traumatic injury. British Journal of Health Psychology, 17, 798-811

Rain Smith, MS
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

August 08 2016

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: You Aren’t “One of Them”: Stories and Themes of People Who Felt Treatment Wasn’t Effective

Mental health treatment “failure” is a subject, which is overlooked by many. I have been approached by acquaintances who have asked some interesting, and at times difficult questions about mental health treatment. I listened to some of their stories, views, and opinions regarding their treatment experiences. They consider me a friend or family member more than a psychologist, so I feel that some of this more candid insight could be helpful.

The statement “you aren’t one of them,” meaning that I am not like the mental health providers with whom the person had interacted, has been said to me frequently at the beginning of one of these discussions. My first thought was that I am not a treating psychologist during these conversations, so I am glad I am not “one of them” to my family and friends. However, there were other considerations when I thought about the “not one of them” statement. I began asking more questions about what “one of them” meant. Mental health treatment providers were then described to me in an adversarial manner. The individuals sharing their stories were essentially impoverished and residing in rural and critically underserved areas of the U.S. In the view of these service-seekers, clinicians were seen as “rich people” who could never understand what life was like for people who had fewer resources. Treatment providers were identified as holding such a high position that they had the ability to “remove all the rights a person has.”

Most of these folks, understandably, did not seek treatment until they were in a state of utter despair. They discussed feeling judged by the clinicians they saw. While my own experience is that treatment providers are non-judgmental, it was concerning that the perception of many of the people in most need, those seeking treatment in crisis in areas where services are marginally available, was the opposite. Many disclosed that they were not truthful with clinicians because they feared what the clinicians’ responses might be. Often times, people seeking psychotropic medications indicated that waiting lists were unbearably long, which in turn contributed to their perceptions that providers did not understand the suffering they experienced. Much of their perception of the mental health service system as adversarial seemed to be rooted in misunderstandings and miscommunication. Mental health treatment for those I spoke with was relegated for those who “hear and see things.”

As a clinician I feel there is sometimes a lack of time to develop a deep understanding of the patient for whom you want to provide care. It may be that in the precious time we have with a patient, our mannerisms, clothing, or signs of status like jewelry communicate the divide–immediately, at first sight. The person presenting for treatment in some areas of the country has been suffering for a long time, possibly left on a waiting list, and then they must face a person they think cannot relate to their suffering (or any suffering). While this may or may not be true, it is an important variable in how supported some rural, low-income service-seekers feel. Those sharing their stories had a lack of education about many facets of mental health treatment, and more importantly, they were afraid to ask questions.

In my opinion, treatment providers could do more to be attuned to the challenges their patients face, and we could listen more closely to those who are telling us we failed to help them.

Rain Smith, MS
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

August 08 2016

Friday Factoids: Mental Health Benefits to Pokémon GO

The new social craze is the phone app Pokémon GO. This game lets players travel between the real world and the virtual world by using real locations to search for Pokémon to catch. Players step outside their homes to find interesting places such as historical landmarks, monuments, and public art installations. Users have been flocking to social media to share how playing this game has improved their mental health. This game has the added benefit to help a person not even think of it as helping their mood because it’s not targeted towards improving mental health. It’s simply a game.

When you get an egg in the game, usually at a Pokéstop, you can place it in an incubator to wait for it to hatch. But the time it takes to hatch is up to you. The first eggs you get require you to walk 2 km or 5 km for incubation to complete. For many players, partaking in this game involves a lot of walking, running, and cycling. This helps to elevate mood, boost coordination and balance, maintain a healthy body weight and even strengthen bones. What’s more, walking through scenic natural areas can provide further mental health benefits. Research from a Stanford University graduate found that walking through green areas actually had a significant effect on positivity.

There are stories on social media about Pokémon GO’s impact on players’ anxiety and depression. People have praised the game for getting them outside of the house and making it easier to interact with friends and strangers. The challenge with depression is having low motivation or energy to get up and stay active. Similarly, if a person is anxious they may be less likely to interact with other people in social situations. If a person struggling with mental illness is not accessing outpatient treatment then this game can have positive effects by adding exercise to their daily routine. Be careful not to mistake this information and believe that substituting Pokémon GO as an opportunity to treat a mood disorder solely with a game. If some day the game does not load, that can be a devastating setback for someone who does not have additional coping skills established to help them. Similarly, someone who already feels isolated won’t receive help because the game does not extend to some remote regions across the country. Pokémon GO could be used as an adjunct to psychotherapy and medications, but it should not be the sole treatment.

The game can be educational as well. Many videogame players tend to stay indoors and may be relatively unaware of significant locations in their local communities. Additionally, conventional online multiplayer games are still limited to purely digital interactions. Many of the Pokéstops that players visit are landmarks and historical markers. While players are out catching Pokémon there could be at least twenty other people in the same location. Many players report that while hunting for Pokémon they regularly notice, interact and make friends with others out playing the game. Pokémon GO gives gamers a great incentive to socialize and meet others who would usually recluse while playing video games. Again, most individuals believed that technology is driving people apart and making our society more anti-social. Pokémon GO brings people together and provides a break in the day from work or studying. It’s preventing some people from becoming bored and improving social connections.

This app demonstrated the unintentional benefits of gaming and produced a game that encourages healthy exercise. There are hundreds of app developers that have tried to develop mood-altering apps by encouraging people to track their mood or providing them with encouraging affirmations. Unfortunately, these apps rarely catch on, and few people continue using them past the first week, Research has long shown the benefits of simple exercise and socializing on improving mood. The developers behind Pokémon GO didn’t mean to create a mental health gaming app. The effects seem to be largely positive.

References:
Grohol, J. (2016, July 11). Pokémon GO Reportedly Helping People’s Mental Health, Depression. Psych Central. Retrieved from: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/07/11/pokemon-go-reportedly-helping-peoples-mental-health-depression/

Saifi, R. (2016, July 26). Pokémon GO’s Mental Health Benefits Are Real. The Huffington Post. Retreived from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rahis-saifi/pokemon-gos-mental-health_b_11204184.html

Jonathan Torres, M.S.
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

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Category Archives: Blog

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: Effects of Multitasking

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: What Exactly Does Psychosomatic Mean?

Article Review: The role of psychological symptoms and social group memberships in the development of post-traumatic stress after traumatic injury [Jones et. al. British Journal of Health Psychology(2012) 17, 798-811]

Friday Factoids Catch-Up: You Aren’t “One of Them”: Stories and Themes of People Who Felt Treatment Wasn’t Effective

Friday Factoids: Mental Health Benefits to Pokémon GO

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