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#6 Goodwill

Positive social relationships and creative activities promote better mental health.

Connection is one of Mental care actions

Scientific evidence

Evidence in scientific literature indicates that goodwill act, positive social relationships, and creative activities improve mental wellness. A good support system for your emotional well-being is not just about friends and family. It includes creative activities like art, music, and writing.

[1] Umberson D, Montez JK. Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy. Journal of health and social behavior. 2010;51(Suppl):S54-S66. Link

[2] Hill EM., Griffiths FE, House T. Spreading of healthy mood in adolescent social networks. Proc. R. Soc. B 2015 August 19; 282: 20151180. Link

[3] Siedliecki SL, Good M. Effect of music on power, pain, depression and disability. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2006;54: 553–562. Link

[4] Gussak D. The effectiveness of art therapy in reducing depression in prison populations. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2007 Aug;51(4):444-60. Link

[5] Meekums B, Karkou V, Nelson EA. Dance movement therapy for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Feb 19;2:CD009895. Link

What you can do with this knowledge

Say and do something nice to people. Give kind, warm, encouraging words to your friends, family, colleagues, and even complete strangers.
Hang out with upbeat friends. Happy moods are infectious.
Engage in creative activities like art, music, dance, drama, writing, poetry, craft works, gardening, cooking, and traveling.

Caution

Be careful with your exposure and involvement in online social relationships. Studies show that social media can have inadvertent but seriously negative effects on mental health.