Putting feelings into words (affect labeling) has long been thought to help manage negative emotional experiences; however, the mechanisms by which affect labeling produces this benefit remain largely unknown. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest a possible neurocognitive pathway for process, but methodological limitations of previous have prevented strong inferences from being drawn. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study was conducted remedy these limitations. The results indicated...

Objective: Mindfulness is a process whereby one aware and receptive to present moment experiences. Although mindfulness-enhancing interventions reduce pathological mental physical health symptoms across wide variety of conditions diseases, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unknown. Converging evidence from mindfulness neuroscience literature suggests that labeling affect may be mechanism for effects. Methods: Participants (n = 27) indicated trait levels then completed an task...

Although stress-induced increases in inflammation have been implicated several major disorders, including cardiovascular disease and depression, the neurocognitive pathways that underlie inflammatory responses to stress remain largely unknown. To examine these processes, we recruited 124 healthy young adult participants complete a laboratory-based social stressor while markers of activity were obtained from oral fluids. A subset ( n = 31) later completed an fMRI session which their neural...

Psychological resources—optimism, mastery, and self-esteem—buffer the deleterious effects of stress are predictors neurophysiological psychological health-related outcomes. These resources have been shown to be highly heritable, yet genetic basis for this heritability remains unknown. Here, we report a link between oxytocin receptor ( OXTR ) SNP rs53576 resources, such that carriers “A” allele lower levels optimism, self-esteem, relative G/G homozygotes. was also associated with depressive...

Scientific understanding of social pain—the hurt feelings resulting from rejection, separation, or loss—has been facilitated by the hypothesis that such arise, in part, some same neural and neurochemical systems generate unpleasant physical pain. Accordingly, animals, painkiller morphine not only alleviates distress pain, but also separation. Because acts on μ-opioid receptor, we examined whether variation receptor gene ( OPRM1 ), as measured functional A118G polymorphism, was associated...

Abstract Adversity in childhood has effects on mental and physical health, not only but across the lifespan. A chief task of our research been to define pathways by which experience these surprising health outcomes, often decades later. The concept allostatic load, refers dysregulations major biological regulatory systems that have cumulative interacting adverse over time, provides a mechanism for understanding relations defining specific pathways. To chart pathways, we examine early...

To better understand the relationship between mindfulness and depression, we studied normal young adults (n = 27) who completed measures of dispositional depressive symptomatology, which were then correlated with (a) rest: resting neural activity during passive viewing a fixation cross, relative to simple goal-directed task (shape-matching); (b) reactivity: reactivity negative emotional faces, same shape-matching task. Dispositional was negatively in self-referential processing areas,...

Simulation theories of empathy hypothesize that empathizing with others’ pain shares some common psychological computations the processing one’s own pain. Support for this perspective has largely relied on functional neuroimaging evidence an overlap between activations during experience physical and other people’s Here, we extend to neurochemical level test whether a painkiller, acetaminophen (paracetamol), can reduce another’s In two double-blind placebo-controlled experiments, participants...

The oxytocin (OT) system, critically involved in social bonding, may also impinge on spirituality, which is the belief a meaningful life imbued with sense of connection to Higher Power and/or world. Midlife male participants ( N = 83) were randomly assigned receive intranasal OT or placebo. In exploratory analyses, genotyped for polymorphisms two genes critical signaling, receptor gene OXTR rs53576) and CD38 (rs6449182 rs3796863). Results showed that increased self-reported spirituality...

Close social bonds are critical to a happy and fulfilled life yet little is known, in humans, about the neurochemical mechanisms that keep individuals feeling close connected one another. According brain opioid theory of attachment, opioids may underlie contented feelings associated with connection be continued bonding. However, role toward others has only begun examined humans. In double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study naltrexone (an antagonist), 31 volunteers took for 4 days...

The origins of modern psychology are deeply rooted in the notion that stressful early-life experiences negatively impact people’s mental health. Emerging work field health suggests stress also impacts physical well-being. Indeed, those who experienced severe as children more at risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer compared with did not have experiences. Recent psychoneuroimmunology inflammation may be one mechanism underlying these associations. In this article, we...

Acetaminophen, an effective and popular over-the-counter pain reliever (e.g., the active ingredient in Tylenol), has recently been shown to blunt individuals’ reactivity a range of negative stimuli addition physical pain. Because accumulating research that both positive can be influenced by single factor (an idea known as differential susceptibility), we conducted two experiments testing whether acetaminophen blunted evaluations emotional reactions images from International Affective Picture...

Oxytocin is thought to play a central role in promoting close social bonds via influence on interactions. The current investigation targeted interactions involving expressed gratitude between members of romantic relationships because recent evidence suggests and its expression provides behavioral psychological 'glue' bind individuals closer together. Specifically, we took genetic approach test the hypothesis that would be associated with variation gene, CD38, which has been shown affect...

Social media use has become an integral part of many young adults' daily lives. Although much research examined how social relates to psychological well-being, little is known about it physical health. To address this knowledge gap, the present investigated amount people various indices Young adults provided a blood sample that was analyzed for C-reactive protein (CRP), marker chronic inflammation. They also completed self-report measures use, somatic symptoms, illness-related physician or...