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World Cup Matches may Boost your Mental Health 0

4:49 PM

All the sports lovers now have a reason to celebrate. For them, watching their favourite sports World Cup is now, no longer just a means of entertainment. While they watch and cheer their favourite teams in Word Cup matches, they also boost their mental health. The positive effect on their brain, of watching their favourite team play, can be explained by the fact that people cheer their teams along with hundreds of other like-minded fans gives them a sense of belonging. Moreover, it also helps them in making better social connections.

Many people say that they are develop a bond with other people as they share a common interest. It gives them a feeling of companionship and makes them transcend into another world of blissfulness.

Being a part of a fan club gives you a platform to meet new people and befriend those who have common interest. When you go to watch World Cup matches, you surround yourself by people who are singing, drumming, dancing and cheering the teams. It makes you feel as if you too are a part of the team. People say that the friendship they share with other sport lovers is not limited to the fields. They often meet up at weekends and also share their personal lives along with the news related to their favourite sport. This way their social circle keeps expanding which undoubtedly creates a positive effect on the mind.

When you connect yourself to a team, and when your team wins a match, it automatically uplifts your self confidence as you start to feel that the victory of your team is your own victory. This can be explained by the fact that when people associate themselves with other group of successful people, their self esteem gets a tremendous boost. Several studies have been carried out to verify this and they have confirmed it. People who have invested their time and interest in their favourite teams make a personal connection with them. They start identifying themselves with their victory or their defeat.

Even when their favourite teams are not doing well, they take tremendous pride in sticking to it. It gives them a sense of loyalty and honour as they refuse to abandon their teams in their bad times. They begin to apply the same principle to their personal life too. They stand by their friends through their thick and thin.

When people of different caste, colour and creed join their hands in support of their favourite teams, sports become their religion that surpasses all other differences amongst them. It is truly a magical moment that fills the minds of the people with a lot of positivity. In this way their favourite sports become a tradition that gets passed from one generation to another and just as keeping the honour of the family is a responsibility of the successive generation, they also take the responsibility of supporting their favourite teams.

Thus, we can see that people get never ending joy and happiness while watching World Cup matches as they are surrounded by numerous other fans. Such joy and happiness is not comparable with any other social activity.

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A recently concluded study organised by World Health Organisation has tipped India as one of the most depressed nations in the world. This study is based on WHOs’ World Mental Health Survey Initiative and has looked at developing and developed economies. It intended to look at the rate at which individuals from participating countries are falling into the trap of depression and its related disorders due to modern day pressures.

The study which interviewed over 90000 individuals from 18 countries has found that the rate of lifetime incidents of major depressive episodes is highest in India sitting at 35.9%. China ranks the lowest in this category with 12 percent. The basis of the study was the average income of individuals from the 18 countries. The countries that were part of the survey included, China, India, USA, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and South Africa.

For the study the sample was put through WHOs’ composite international diagnostic interview wherein they had to answer a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to look at the attitude of people for the telling signs of major depressive episode such as loss of appetite and concentration, increased period of disinterest and the continual feeling of being discouraged.

Major depression is a result of the lifestyle that people are subjected to. The constant feeling of being part of a rat race saps the energy and enthusiasm out of them. Depression can be triggered by day-to-day problems such as relationship stress and work related hassles. Interestingly, depression affects the higher income group more.

Depression afflicts nearly 121 million people worldwide and women are more prone to it. It is also a major hurdle in the lifespan of people aged 18 – 44. Moreover people suffering from MDE are prone to prolonged periods of complete social withdrawal and even planned suicide.

Experts are of the opinion that rising income levels in India and the anxieties that it brings with it are the major factors leading to major depressive episodes. Individuals are constantly reeling under the preconceived threat of losing all that they have acquired; be it their loved ones or their career. Indians are slowly getting acclimatised to uniquely western concepts such as the nuclear family. With no support system to fall back on and social networking sites alarming cutting off individuals from real life interactions, depression is a malaise that is slowly crippling the psyche of a number of modern day Indians.

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According to WHO, depression is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world. However, that statistic is all set to change as according to them, depression if not checked in time will eventually catapult to being the second leading cause of disability by 2020.

Corporal Punishment continues to be the evil in today’s society, hampering long term

development of kids.

A research conducted by Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) concluded that children who go through physical punishment become aggressive in their lives, showing signs after 20 years of age. They show aggressive intent towards friends and family, and become anti-social. Dr. Joan Durrant of Department of Family Social Sciences (University of Manitoba) agrees to the fact that physical punishment is the root cause of aggression in children towards society.

In another corporal punishment intervention program where 500 families reduced physical punishment on their children found out that there was a decline in such anti-social behaviour of children. Result of the outcome is directly linked to the response of children to the improved behaviour of their parents. Several human experts have also nodded that consistent physical punishment result in externalising behaviour in human beings. The journal ‘Social Development’ also covered a story regarding harshly punitive environment leading to long-term complications in children.

Several mental health problems like anxiety, depression, use of drugs and alcohol also associate themselves with corporal punishment. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that corporal punishment cause nervous changes, making alterations in performance on IQ tests and increasing vulnerability to drug or alcohol dependence. Several countries have abolished the social evil of physical punishment and others are following the suite, shifting attitude towards positive discipline of children.

Experts believe that physicians have vital role to play in advising parents and convincing them to go for constructive approaches to discipline. Physicians can make attempts to improve children's healthy development by educating parents on behaviour exhibited by children, suggesting positive disciplinary approach to them, recommending parenting program and referring patients to public health institutions who are in dire need of help. They are credible

personnel with influential voices for transforming social practices and regulations.

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