Mind really does matter when it comes to health and healing

Washington, September 27(ANI): A new research has suggested that Hippocrates' opinion on health and illness, that mind is significant in health and healing, is actually true.

Nurse researchers and clinicians at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and the Johns Hopkins Hospital are looking at ways to prevent the damage excessive stress does to a young child's development.

They are also looking at how the mind can help speed or slow healing and help control pain.

JHUSON researcher and professor Deborah Gross, DNSc, RN, FAAN has found that some behavioral disorders in young people are preventable, particularly if resilience is taught and risk factors for stress are reduced.

She claims that a key protective factor that can help reduce stress is parenting.

She said: "Parents are a child's entire world. If parents are preoccupied, or emotionally or physically absent, their child loses out."

Apparently, when parents don't engage their child early and often, brain development related to language and learning may be slowed.

Gross intends to buttress child resilience by improving parents' communications, engagement and involvement.

She said: "Does this kind of prevention program in parenting work for these children? You bet it does. Particularly in these difficult economic times when more families are at risk, we need to safeguard the development of the skills and abilities of infants and young children. After all, those capacities are the foundation for the rest of their lives."

Some of the factors that lead to stress in youngsters are poverty, unemployment, community violence and family discord. (ANI)