Work, meaning, and gene regulation: Findings from a Japanese information technology firm

Reward processes in extinction learning and applications to exposure therapy

Anxiety disorders are common and highly distressing mental health conditions. Exposure therapy is a gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders. Mechanisms of Pavlovian fear learning, and particularly fear extinction, are central to exposure therapy. A growing body of evidence suggests an important role of reward processes during Pavlovian fear extinction. Nonetheless, predominant models of exposure therapy do not currently incorporate reward processes. Herein, we present a theoretical model of reward processes in relation to Pavlovian mechanisms of exposure therapy, including a focus on dopaminergic prediction error signaling, coinciding positive emotional experiences (i.e., relief), and unexpected positive outcomes. We then highlight avenues for further research and discuss potential strategies to leverage reward processes to maximize exposure therapy response, such as pre-exposure interventions to increase reward sensitivity or post-exposure rehearsal (e.g., savoring, imaginal recounting strategies) to enhance retrieval and retention of learned associations.

When High Subjective Social Status Becomes a Burden: A Japan-U.S. Comparison of Biological Health Markers

High subjective social status (SSS) is believed to protect health in the current literature. However, high SSS entails social responsibilities that can be stressful in collectivistic cultural contexts. Here, we tested the hypothesis that those socialized in collectivistic societies (e.g., Japan) recognize their high social status as entailing social duties difficult to ignore even when they are excessive. Using cross-cultural survey data (N = 1,289) and a measure of biological health risk (BHR) by biomarkers of inflammation and cardiovascular malfunction, we found that higher SSS predicted lower BHR for American males. In contrast, higher SSS predicted higher BHR for Japanese males, mediated by the perceived difficulty of disengaging from their current goals. In both cultural groups, females showed no association between SSS and BHR. These findings suggest that social status has differing health implications, depending on the relative salience of privileges and burden-producing responsibilities in different cultural contexts.

Affective reactivity to daily stressors and immune cell gene expression in the MIDUS study

Affective reactivity to stress is a person-level measurement of how well an individual copes with daily stressors. A common method of measuring affective reactivity entails the estimation of within-person differences of either positive or negative affect on days with and without stressors present. Individuals more reactive to common stressors, as evidenced by affective reactivity measurements, have been shown to have increased levels of circulating pro-inflammatory markers. While affective reactivity has previously been associated with inflammatory markers, the upstream mechanistic links underlying these associations are unknown. Using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher study (N = 195; 52% female; 84% white), we quantified daily stress processes over 10 days and determined individuals' positive and negative affective reactivities to stressors. We then examined affective reactivity association with peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expression of the immune-related conserved transcriptional response to adversity. Results indicated that individuals with a greater decrease in positive affect to daily stressors exhibited heightened PBMC JUNB expression after Bonferroni corrections (p-adjusted < 0.05). JUNB encodes a protein that acts as a transcription factor which regulates many aspects of the immune response, including inflammation and cell proliferation. Due to its critical role in the activation of macrophages and maintenance of CD4+ T-cells during inflammation, JUNB may serve as a potential upstream mechanistic target for future studies of the connection between affective reactivity and inflammatory processes. Overall, our findings provide evidence that affective reactivity to stress is associated with levels of immune cell gene expression.

Social network position and the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity in older Koreans

BACKGROUND

Social connections are crucial to human health and well-being. Previous research on molecular mechanisms in health has focused primarily on the individual-level perception of social connections (e.g., loneliness). This study adopted socio-centric social network analysis that includes all social ties from the entire population of interest to examine the group-level social connections and their association with a molecular genomic measure of health.

METHODS

Using socio-centric (global) social network data from an entire village in Korea, we investigated how social network characteristics are related to immune cell gene expression among older adults. Blood samples were collected (N = 53, 65-79 years) and mixed effect linear model analyses were performed to examine the association between social network characteristics and Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) RNA expression patterns.

RESULTS

Social network positions measured by k-core score, the degree of cohesive core positions in an entire village, were significantly associated with CTRA downregulation. Such associations emerged above and beyond the effects of perceived social isolation (loneliness) and biobehavioral risk factors (smoking, alcohol, BMI, etc.). Social network size, defined as degree centrality, was also associated with reduced CTRA gene expression, but its association mimicked that of perceived social isolation (loneliness).

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings implicate community-level social network characteristics in the regulation of individual human genome function above and beyond individual-level perceptions of connectedness.

The genomic impact of kindness to self vs. others: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Prosocial behavior has been linked to improved physical health, but the biological mechanisms involved remain unclear. This study tested whether a 4-week kindness intervention could reduce expression of a stress-related immune response gene signature known as the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA).

METHODS

In a diverse sample of community adults (N = 182), study participants were randomly assigned to perform 3 kind acts for other people, to perform 3 kind acts for themselves, or to list daily activities (control), on one day per week over 4 weeks. CTRA gene expression was measured by RNA sequencing of dried blood spots (DBS) collected at baseline and 5 weeks later (1 week after completing study assignments). Participants' descriptions of their kind acts were coded for protocol adherence and act content.

RESULTS

Participants who were randomized to perform kind acts for others showed significant reductions in CTRA gene expression relative to controls. Participants who were randomized to perform kind acts for themselves also showed significant reductions in CTRA gene expression relative to controls, but this pattern emerged only for those who failed to perform the requested self-kind acts (protocol non-adherent). Those who fully adhered to the self-kindness protocol showed no change in CTRA gene expression and did not differ from controls. Act content analyses implicated self-stress-reducing behavior in the paradoxical effects of self-kindness and the physical presence of others in the effects of prosocial behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Prosocial engagement-doing something kind for others rather than oneself-reduces CTRA gene expression. The nature of kind acts and their intended recipient plays a key role in shaping the genomic impact of kindness.

Social connection and gene regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Divergent patterns for online and in-person interaction

BACKGROUND

Social connection has been linked to reduced disease risk and enhanced antiviral immunity, but it is unclear whether online social connections have similar effects to those previously documented for in-person/offline social relationships, or whether online connections can substitute for in-person social relations when the latter are restricted. We examined this question in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing specifically on an immune system gene regulation profile known as the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), which is characterized by up-regulation of proinflammatory genes and down-regulation of genes linked to innate antiviral responses and antibody production.

METHODS

We analyzed CTRA RNA profiles in blood samples from 142 healthy young adults (69% female, 87% white) during the "social distancing" period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mixed effect linear models quantified the relation of CTRA gene expression to measures of in-person social connection (number of friends, social eudaimonia, loneliness) and online psychosocial connection (online loneliness, perceived social value in online leisure and educational contexts, and internet use) while controlling for demographic and health factors.

RESULTS

Multiple indicators of in-person and generalized social connection were associated with lower CTRA gene expression, whereas no measure of online social connection showed any significant association with CTRA gene expression.

CONCLUSION

Experiences of in-person social connection are associated with reduced CTRA gene expression during a period of restricted social interaction. In contrast, online social relationships show no such association. Digitally mediated social relations do not appear to substantially offset the absence of in-person/offline social connection in the context of immune cell gene regulation.

Interdependence of Emotion: Conceptualization, Evidence, and Social Implications From Cultural Psychology

People feel a wide range of emotions. In many psychological traditions, emotions are defined as primarily emerging from within the individual, even if influenced by external factors (e.g., approval from other people). This definition is consistent with an independent self-construal. However, in some contexts, emotions are understood to have more interdependent characteristics that can be shared with other people and that arise from social contexts and collective, shared situations. We define the lay theory of interdependence of emotion as the perception that emotional experience or its causes and consequences are shared with other people. Interdependence of emotion can be conceptualized along a spectrum, rather than as categorical. Additionally, the degree to which people understand emotions as interdependent likely varies by cultural context. In this article, we review studies that have investigated this lay theory of emotions across cultures, focusing on function. We suggest that people from non-WEIRD cultures (i.e., cultures that are not Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) are more likely than others to experience emotions as interdependent. Next, we highlight examples of this interdependence, focusing on two specific emotions: happiness and awe, which may have both independent and interdependent elements. The mechanisms and functions of the lay theory of interdependence of emotions are discussed using the example of a current collective threat, COVID-19.

Culture, theory-of-mind, and morality: How independent and interdependent minds make moral judgments

Although the investigation of the neural mechanisms of morality has increased in recent years, the neural underpinnings of cultural variations in judgments of morality is understudied. In this paper, we propose that the well-established cultural differences in two cognitive processes, consideration of mental state and causal attribution, would lead to differences in moral judgment. Specifically, North Americans rely heavily on the mental state of a protagonist and dispositional attributions, whereas East Asians focus more on situational attributions and place less emphasis on the mental state of a protagonist. These differences would be accounted for by activity in brain regions implicated in thinking about others' minds, or theory-of-mind (ToM), which would underlie the cultural shaping of moral judgment. This proposed cultural neuroscience approach may broaden the scope of morality research, better predict moral behavior, and reduce disparities in diverse groups' moral judgment.

Psychoneuroimmunology in the time of COVID-19: Why neuro-immune interactions matter for mental and physical health

The brain and immune system are intricately connected, and perturbations in one system have direct effects on the other. This review focuses on these dynamic psychoneuroimmune interactions and their implications for mental and physical health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we describe how psychological states influence antiviral immunity and the vaccine response, and how immune changes triggered by COVID (either via infection with SARS-CoV-2 or associated stressors) can influence the brain with effects on cognition, emotion, and behavior. We consider negative psychological states, which have been the primary focus of psychological research in the context of COVID-19 (and psychoneuroimmunology more generally). We also consider positive psychological states, including positive affect and eudaimonic well-being, given increasing evidence for their importance as modulators of immunity. We finish with a discussion of interventions that may be effective in improving immune function, the neuro-immune axis, and ultimately, mental and physical health.

Purpose Should Be in the Eye of the Holder, not the Researcher

Researchers have discussed how best to define and measure purpose in life for decades, and this debate has been reinvigorated by recent work by Burrow et al. (2021), in their discussion of how to capture purpose development within a broader ecological context. However, in their commentary, Bronk and Damon (2021) have suggested that researchers also need to consider whether the individual's stated purpose in life merits development. We suggest here that multiple concerns present whenever researchers are placed in the seat of making decisions regarding whether an individual's purpose is "worthwhile," and how in turn this strategy may do more harm than good.

Scientific and Ethical Mandates in the Study of Purpose

We appreciate the letter by Hill and Pfund about our commentary and the opportunity to respond to it. It is exactly this type of interchange that advances understanding and clarity of communication in the scholarly community. The object of our commentary (Bronk & Damon, 2021, “What makes a purpose ‘worth having’) was a thoughtful Human Development article by Burrow et al. (2021) entitled “Are all purposes worth having?” It should be clear from the titles of our commentary and the original article that the question explored by both pieces is how to determine whether a purpose chosen by a young person is worth having. The question is not “What makes a purpose a purpose?” Yet the authors of the present letter intermingle the two questions. Our response to their letter explains the important distinction between the two questions and summarize our views on each.

The Antecedents and Consequences of Workaholism: Findings From the Modern Japanese Labor Market

The present study examined the direct and indirect (via workaholism) relationships between competitive work environments and subjective unhealthiness. It also examined the effects of adjusting for cognitive distortions in the relationship between a competitive work environment and subjective unhealthiness and between a competitive work environment and workaholism. Data were collected from 9,716 workers in various industries, occupations, and positions. The results show that competitive work environments were positively related to subjective unhealthiness, both directly and through workaholism. Furthermore, cognitive distortions moderated the positive effect between a competitive work environment and workaholism, and the positive relationship was stronger when cognitive distortions were high (as compared to low). This study has important and practical implications for companies that are increasingly concerned about the health of their employees.

Effect of Mindfulness Versus Loving-kindness Training on Leukocyte Gene Expression in Midlife Adults Raised in Low-Socioeconomic Status Households

Objectives

People raised in low socio-economic status (SES) households are at an increased risk for physical illness in adulthood. A shift in gene expression profiles in the immune system is one biological mechanism thought to account for elevated disease susceptibility, with a frequently-investigated profile being the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), characterized by increased expression of proinflammatory genes and decreased expression of antiviral and antibody-related genes.

Methods

The present study investigated, in a sample of at-risk midlife adults (N = 88), whether those randomized to learn loving-kindness meditation (LKM) in a 6-week workshop, would show a reduction in CTRA gene expression, compared to those randomized to learn mindfulness meditation (MM). We assessed emotions daily and hypothesized positive emotions to account for the expected effect of LKM on gene expression.

Results

Results showed significant group differences from pre- to post-intervention, yet in the opposite direction as hypothesized: Participants randomized to the MM group showed significant declines in CTRA gene expression, whereas those in the LKM group showed significant increases in CTRA gene expression. Both groups showed increases over the 6 weeks in daily reports of positive emotions, b=.007, p <.001 alongside decreases in negative emotions b=-.005, p <.001. Thus, positive emotions were not pursued as a candidate mediator of observed group effects.

Conclusion

This study is the first to examine whether the biological impact of childhood low-SES can be reversed in mid-life through meditation interventions. Results suggest mindfulness meditation may be a viable option for improving health outcomes in this at-risk population. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02400593.

Internet gaming, embodied distress, and psychosocial well-being: A syndemic-syndaimonic continuum

We examine internet gaming-related suffering as a novel syndemic most prevalent among contemporary emerging adults. Synthetic analysis of our prior research on internet gaming and health affirms how social factors and mental and physical wellness mutually condition each other in this online play context. Employing biocultural anthropological mixed methods, we focus on statistical interactions between intensive gaming and social well-being in relation to genomic markers of immune function. We show that among gamers with low social well-being, intensive game play is associated with compromised immunity markers, but among those with robust social connection, that same play correlates with decreased activation of stress-related immunity activation. The apparently beneficial interaction of higher social well-being and intensive game play resonates with an emerging body of research showing how positive practices-in this case, engaged and pleasurable videogame play-can increase resilience to the negative linked psychological and genomic responses to precarity. Based on these findings, we argue, in relation to gaming behaviors, a syndemics analysis could usefully be expanded by attending to both sides of the synergistic interaction between two social conditions: not just exacerbation of dysfunction in relation to their combined effect, but also non-additive enhancement of health that may stem from such combinations. We draw on literature emphasizing the relevance to health of "eudaimonic" well-being-psychosocial processes that transcend immediate self-gratification and involve the pursuit of meaningful and pro-social goals. On that basis, we propose the term "syndaimonics" to capture synergies between social context and mental flourishing, which, in this context and presumably others, can illuminate sources of health resilience and overall improved psychosocial wellbeing.

Culture and Health: Recent Developments and Future Directions 1

Evidence of cultural differences in relationships and emotions has accumulated over the past few decades. As findings on cultural differences in psychological processes have accumulated, there has been growing interest in investigating whether they have implications for other phenomena such as health. Using scientific advances from the MIDUS and MIDJA studies, both publicly available, we examine links between culture and health. We first briefly review the accumulated evidence on cultural influences on health correlates of psychosocial factors. We then feature two recent developments - a more micro-level perspective on biological factors that may be involved in the culture and health linkage, and a more macro-level view of socioeconomic inequality, which also matters for health. Both perspectives inform the pathways through which health effects occur. Finally, we conclude our review by highlighting the changing historical contexts surrounding these cross-cultural investigations. Specifically, we draw attention to widening of economic inequality across cultures and the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. These happenings bring notable implications for future research on health across cultural contexts.

Only the Lonely: Expression of Proinflammatory Genes Through Family Cancer Caregiving Experiences

OBJECTIVE

The experience of cancer elicits not only turmoil but also resilience in the family, which has been related to psychological adjustment and physical health of family caregivers. The biological pathways linking family cancer caregiving to health, however, remain poorly understood. This study examined the extent to which psychological risk and resilience factors related to a proinflammatory gene expression profile (conserved transcriptional response to adversity, or CTRA) among caregivers during the first-year postdiagnosis of a patient with colorectal cancer.

METHODS

A total of 41 caregivers (mean age = 54 years, 74% female, 40% Hispanic) provided psychological data and peripheral blood samples around 4 and 12 months after diagnosis. Mixed regression models controlling for demographic and biometric factors were used to test the associations of caregiver CTRA gene expression with caregiving stress, loneliness, and lack of social support (risk factors), as well as benefit finding and meaning (resilience factors).

RESULTS

When individually tested, all but benefit finding were significantly related to CTRA (R2 ≥ 0.112, p < .045). When adjusted for other factors in either the risk or resilience group, loneliness, social support, and meaning effects remained significant (R2 ≥ 0.120, p < .041). When all study factors were simultaneously adjusted (R2 = 0.139), only loneliness remained significant (p = .034).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that caregiving-related transcriptional effects seem to be most pronounced when caregivers experience low social support and loneliness, as well as little meaning or purpose in their caregiving. These findings suggest that the development of new intervention strategies that prioritize reductions in caregiver loneliness may favorably impact biological mechanisms related to caregiver health.

Psychological well-being and gene expression in Korean adults: The role of age

BACKGROUND

Happiness has traditionally been thought to comprise two parts - pleasure (hedonia) and meaning (eudaimonia). Even though the two types of happiness are correlated, genomics studies have found distinct transcriptional correlates of hedonia and eudaimonia, particularly in the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) marked by up-regulation of proinflammatory genes and down-regulation of interferon-related genes. Eudaimonia has been associated with reduced CTRA gene expression in several studies, whereas hedonia shows no consistent association with the CTRA. However, most of these social genomics studies have been conducted in Western cultures with Caucasian samples, so it is unclear if these findings extended to non-Western cultures with other ethnic groups. Moreover, it is unknown whether age might modify the association between CTRA gene expression and eudaimonia. To this end, we examined in a sample of Koreans the relationship between CTRA profiles and measures of hedonia and eudaimonia, as well as the role of age in modulating the strength of those relationships.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from 152 healthy Korean adults (mean age = 44.64; 50 % female). Well-being was measured using the Mental Health Continuum short form (MHC-SF), Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being (PWB), and subjective well-being (SWB) scales. RNA transcriptome profiles were obtained by RNA sequencing. Mixed effect linear model analyses examined the association between CTRA gene expression and measures of MHC-SF, SWB, PWB (total scores and six subscales) and additional analyses examined a possible moderating role of age.

RESULTS

CTRA gene expression was significantly downregulated in association with the MHC-SF eudaimonic scores as well as the PWB total scores. Among the six domains of PWB, autonomy showed the strongest inverse correlation with CTRA profiles. Moreover, the inverse association between CTRA and PWB was stronger for older participants.

CONCLUSION

Eudaimonia is associated with reduced CTRA gene expression in a Korean population, with particularly marked relationships for autonomy. Findings also suggest that aging with meaning may bring biological advantage in later life.

Purpose Among Youth From Low-Income Backgrounds: A Mixed Methods Investigation

Theoretical and empirical research lead to conflicting perspectives on whether youth from low-income backgrounds are likely to have access to lives of purpose. To explore this issue, this study used data collected during the 2016-2017 academic year from a sample of Southern California youth. Findings suggest (a) youth from low-income communities are as likely as youth from middle-income communities to report leading lives of purpose; (b) purpose among low-income youth is associated with many of the same indicators of positive development as it is among middle-income youth; and (c) youth from low-income backgrounds encounter personal hardships that, in the presence of familial support and other developmental assets, can inspire purpose. Implications for purpose-fostering interventions among low-income youth are discussed.

Isolation, social stress, low socioeconomic status and its relationship to immune response in Covid-19 pandemic context

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was first reported December 2019, in Wuhan, China, and has since spread worldwide. Social distancing or isolation measures were taken to mitigate the pandemic. Furthermore, stress and low socioeconomic status in humans confer increased vulnerability to morbidity and mortality, what can be biologically observed. This condition tends to remain during the Covid-19 pandemic. Social disruption stress (SDR) raises important questions regarding the functioning of the immune system, and the release of several stress hormones. A molecular pattern, conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), is thought to have evolved to defend against physical injury during periods of heightened risk. Chronic CTRA activation could leave an organism vulnerable to viral infections, leading to increased pro-inflammatory gene expression and a suppression of anti-viral gene expression. The activation of such transcriptional status is related to conditions of social stress through either hostile human contact, or increased predatory vulnerability due to separation from the social group and also low socioeconomic status. This review aims to point out questions for government officials, researchers and health professionals to better target their actions during a pandemic and encourage studies for a better understanding of these characteristics.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has spread worldwide.

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Community mitigation guidelines, such as social distancing were taken.

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Social disruption stress leads to immune response alterations, and stress hormones.

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CTRA activation may lead to vulnerable to viral infection and systemic inflammation.

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CTRA may be activated due to social isolation and socioeconomic status.

Is Conscientiousness Always Associated With Better Health? A U.S.-Japan Cross-Cultural Examination of Biological Health Risk

In Western societies, conscientiousness is associated with better health. Here, we tested whether this pattern would extend to East Asian, collectivistic societies. In these societies, social obligation motivated by conscientiousness could be excessive and thus health-impairing. We tested this prediction using cross-cultural surveys of Americans (N = 1,054) and Japanese (N = 382). Biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein) and cardiovascular malfunction (systolic blood pressure and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio) were adopted to define biological health risk (BHR). Among Americans, conscientiousness was associated with lower BHR. Moreover, this relationship was mediated by healthy lifestyle. In contrast, among Japanese, the relationship between conscientiousness and BHR was not significant. Further analysis revealed, however, that conscientiousness was associated with a greater commitment to social obligation, which in turn predicted higher BHR. These findings suggest that conscientiousness may or may not be salubrious, depending on health implications of normatively sanctioned behaviors in varying cultures.

Intergenerational mentoring, eudaimonic well-being and gene regulation in older adults: A pilot study

To clarify the biological mechanisms underlying the relationship between pro-social behavior and health, this pilot study examined the impact of a 9-month intergenerational helping intervention on conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) gene expression profiles, which are characterized by up-regulation of genes involved in inflammation and down-regulation of genes involved in antiviral defenses. The Generation Xchange program trains and places older (age 50+) volunteers in K-3^rd grade classrooms to aid students' academic development (reading and math) and address behavioral issues (e.g., inability to focus during class, behaviors that disrupt class). Volunteers were predominately women (89%) and African American (94%) from the neighborhoods around the schools. Repeated measures planned contrast analysis of 53 CTRA indicator transcripts in 50 blood samples collected from 18 individuals on 2-3 occasions revealed a significant reduction in CTRA gene expression from baseline to the average of 3- and 9-month follow-up. The magnitude of individual decrease in CTRA gene expression correlated with the magnitude of individual increase in eudaimonic well-being over time (net of changes in hedonic well-being). In addition to clarifying biological pathways through which pro-social behavior might impact health, these pilot data suggest that the GenX program may have favorable effects on immune cell gene regulation.

Lifestyle Medicine – New Concept, Innovative Discipline

A large percentage 63% of premature deaths and chronic diseases could be prevented by adhering to healthy dietary patterns, being physically active and avoid smoking. The concept of lifestyle medicine introduced 20 years ago by Rippe is defined as the integration of modern lifestyle practices into evidence-based medicine, in order to lower risk factors or to be support for chronic therapies. A new taxonomy is proposed in lifestyle medicine, with determinants, as drivers for chronic diseases, anthropogens and metaflammation, the metabolic inflammatory state. Other possible determinants are proposed for lack os scope in life, estrangement and lost identity. Despite all health messages, healthy behaviors are exceptions, not the rule. It will be important in the future to change how practitioners will support individuals in their efforts to live healthier. More psychological and social factors should be analyzed. Many doctors are not self-confident with prescribing healthy lifestyle or nutritional recommendations. Creating a new discipline should foster development of preventive recommendations. General practitioners will need specific academic trainings to learn how to promote recommendations for lifestyle changes for health, for prevention and for diseases management, starting by adopting themselves healthy lifestyles.

Positive mental well-being and immune transcriptional profiles in highly involved videogame players

Previous research has identified a link between experiencing life as meaningful and purposeful-what is referred to as "eudaimonia"-and reduced expression of a stress-induced gene profile known as the "conserved transcriptional response to adversity" (CTRA). In the current study, we examine whether similar links between eudaimonic well-being and CTRA reduction occur in a sample of 56 individuals with a particularly strong engagement with virtual worlds: avid online videogame players. Results consistently linked higher eudaimonic well-being, and more specifically the social well-being subdomain of eudaimonia, to lower levels of CTRA gene expression. That favorable psychobiological relationship between eudaimonia and CTRA appeared most strongly among individuals reporting high levels of positive psychosocial involvement with gaming. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that committed social/recreational activity may help damp CTRA expression especially among persons who are already experiencing some kind of threshold of positive eudaimonic experience.

Cultivating a healthy neuro‐immune network: A health psychology approach

The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) examines interactions among psychological and behavioral states, the brain, and the immune system. Research in PNI has elegantly documented effects of stress at multiple levels of the neuro-immune network, with profound implications for both physical and mental health. In this review, we consider how the neuro-immune network might be influenced by "positive" psychological and behavioral states, focusing on positive affect, eudaimonic well-being, physical activity, and sleep. There is compelling evidence that these positive states and behaviors are associated with changes in immune activity in the body, including reductions in peripheral inflammatory processes relevant for physical health. Growing evidence from animal models also suggests effects of positive states on immune cells in the brain and the blood-brain barrier, which then impact critical aspects of mood, cognition, and behavior. Tremendous advances are being made in our understanding of neuro-immune dynamics; one of the central goals of this review is to highlight recent preclinical research in this area and consider how we can leverage these findings to investigate and cultivate a healthy neuro-immune network in humans.

Psychosocial issues for adolescent and young adult cancer patients in a global context: A forward-looking approach

The first decade of adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology psychosocial care and research (2005-2015) was driven by a normative, developmental framework that assumed a generalizable life experience for AYAs that is distinct from both younger children and older adults. As we proceed through a second decade, new considerations emerge regarding diversity of life experiences as occurring within and influenced by a complex global context. The purpose of this paper is to review and provide commentary on the impact of global and contextual conditions on AYAs. We expound upon the effects of precarious labor conditions, changing timetables and priorities for developmental tasks, sexual and gender plurality, and expanding cultural diversity. We discuss the implications of social genomics and technology and social media for enhancing precision psychosocial medicine. To build a forward-looking approach, this paper calls for tailored, multilevel treatments that consider variability of AYAs within the social and global contexts in which they live.

Psychosocial Determinants of Chronic Disease: Implications for Lifestyle Medicine

We have previously identified a number of "determinants" of chronic disease, using the acronym NASTIE ODOURS. These have been given the collective term "anthropogens," in this journal and other publications, to help direct the management of modern chronic ailments to a monocausal focus, akin to that afforded infectious diseases by the "germ theory." We suggested the acronym NASTIE ODOURS as a starting point for a taxonomy of lifestyle medicine determinants. In the current article, we add 3, less quantifiable, but currently increasingly more important psychosocial experiences to these: Lack of Meaning, Alienation, and Loss of culture, changing the previous acronym to NASTIE MAL ODOURS. As with other determinants, all have accumulating evidence of an underlying low-grade, systemic, inflammatory physiological base ("metaflammation"), but with the need for further research to solidify these findings.

Changes in eudaimonic well-being and the conserved transcriptional response to adversity in younger breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

The conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), characterized by increased expression of proinflammatory genes and decreased expression of antiviral and antibody-related genes, is upregulated in the context of chronic adversity and distress and has been linked to cancer progression. Several studies suggest that the CTRA may also be down-regulated in association with some positive psychological states, particularly eudaimonic well-being. However, it is not clear if the link between inter-individual differences in the CTRA and eudaimonic well-being can be extended to intra-individual change. Using a standardized mindfulness-based intervention, the current study tested whether mindfulness-related increases in eudaimonic well-being related to intra-individual reduction in the CTRA in a sample of younger breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

Participants were 22 women who had been diagnosed and treated for early-stage breast cancer at or before age 50 (M_age = 46.6 years) and had no evidence of active disease. Women completed self-report questionnaires and provided peripheral blood samples before and after a 6-week mindfulness meditation intervention. Regression analyses were used to quantify associations between the magnitude of change in eudaimonic well-being and the magnitude of change in the global CTRA score.

RESULTS

Women reported significant increases in eudaimonic well-being and showed decreased expression of the pro-inflammatory subcomponent of the CTRA from pre- to post-intervention. The magnitude of increase in eudaimonic well-being was associated with the magnitude of decrease in the composite CTRA score, and this relationship was driven primarily by increased expression of the antiviral/antibody-related CTRA subcomponent. While the intervention was also associated with reduced depressive symptoms, there was no association between change in depressive symptoms and change in the overall CTRA composite score or either of its subcomponents.

CONCLUSIONS

Results are consistent with the hypothesis that eudaimonic well-being may be an important mechanism in interventions aimed at enhancing health in vulnerable groups, and contribute to our understanding of how psychological well-being may influence physical health in cancer patients.

Socio-Economic Marginalization and Compliance Motivation Among Students and Freeters in Japan

This study examines the compliance motivation of students and Freeters when facing a marginalization risk situation evoked by priming. Freeter (part-time employers), NEET (not in education, employment, or training), and Hikikomori (social withdrawal) represent the socio-economically marginalized population in Japan. People at higher risk of becoming NEET and Hikikomori have shown a motivation pattern deviant from mainstream Japanese culture, including lower willingness to conform to in-group members, thus showing less cultural fit (Norasakkunkit and Uchida, 2014). In this study we explore the effect of the macro socio-economic situation (job-hunting prospects being good or bad) on individual's compliance motivation in both students and Freeters. Sixty-five Kyoto University students and 74 Freeters were randomly assigned to one of the two priming conditions (marginalization risk or non-marginalization) before completing the NEET-Hikikomori Risk (NHR) scale and measurements of compliance motivation to conform to in-group members or to be self-consistent (Cialdini et al., 1999). Twenty-three control group students and 22 control group Freeters were also recruited online for comparison. Results showed that marginalization risk priming led to lower tendency to be self-consistent among students, but did not lead to lower tendency to conform to in-group members. For Freeters, marginalization risk priming led to higher compliance motivation to conform to in-group members. The results confirmed the framework proposed by Toivonen et al. (2011) that both Freeters and students in Japan have ritualist reactions, continuing to maintain the cultural norms despite the difficulty of attaining the cultural goals.

The Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity

Gene expression profiling studies of people exposed to chronic threat have identified a Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) in circulating immune cells. This physiological pattern is characterized by up-regulated expression of genes involved in inflammation and down-regulated expression of genes involved in Type I interferon responses. The CTRA is mediated by beta-adrenergic signaling pathways that transduce sympathetic nervous system activity into changes in transcription factor activity and hematopoietic output of myeloid lineage immune cells (monocytes, neutrophils, and dendritic cells). Recent research has begun to identify the CNS processes that regulate peripheral CTRA activity, define its implications for disease, and explore the role of positive psychosocial factors in buffering such effects. The CTRA provides a genomic framework for understanding PNI relationships and connecting macro-level psychosocial processes to the micro-level biology of health and disease.

Optimism and the conserved transcriptional response to adversity

Dispositional optimism, a personality trait predisposing individuals to positive expectations, has been suggested to promote better health. However, little is known about the biological mechanism of the salubrious health effects of optimism. We hypothesized that by diminishing a sense of threat to the self, optimism will be associated with a healthier profile of gene expression in immune cells. Specifically, the "conserved transcriptional response to adversity" (CTRA) is activated by fight-or-flight stress responses and results in increased transcription of genes involved in inflammation and decreased transcription of genes involved in antiviral defense. In a sample of 114 male Japanese workers, we found that optimism was inversely linked to CTRA after controlling for demographic variables, health-risk factors, and indices of well-being. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced activity of threat-related gene expression programs may contribute to the health effects associated with optimism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN BOOSTING IMMUNE RESPONSE: AN OPTIMAL EFFORT FOR TACKLING INFECTION

Background:

Many attempts have been made to improve human body resistance towards infection. These attempts were exemplified by promotion of hygiene and the use of antiseptic ingredients, pharmaceutical compounds, and vaccines. To prove an aspect which intentionally less explored was attempt to boosting the host immune responses by creating a psychological balance, which was important aspect of psychological well-being.

Material and Method:

These article reviews searched and compiled using database Google Scholar, from 1995 to latest. Search keywords were: immune response, psychological well-being, psychological ill-being.

Results:

Based on literature our findings showed that psychological well-being was proven could increase human body immune response. The evidenced were by improvements of several indicators in saliva, blood and plasma. In other way, psychological ill-being was associated with decreased immune responses. Numerous studies compiled and discussed in review also suggested that improving immune response through psychological well-being could increase living comfort.

Conclusion:

The psychological well-being could improve the human body immune responses, enhance resistance towards diseases (including infectious diseases), and create a spiritually and physically more prosperous life.

Natural language indicators of differential gene regulation in the human immune system

Adverse social conditions have been linked to a conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) in circulating leukocytes that may contribute to social gradients in disease. However, the CNS mechanisms involved remain obscure, in part because CTRA gene-expression profiles often track external social-environmental variables more closely than they do self-reported internal affective states such as stress, depression, or anxiety. This study examined the possibility that variations in patterns of natural language use might provide more sensitive indicators of the automatic threat-detection and -response systems that proximally regulate autonomic induction of the CTRA. In 22,627 audio samples of natural speech sampled from the daily interactions of 143 healthy adults, both total language output and patterns of function-word use covaried with CTRA gene expression. These language features predicted CTRA gene expression substantially better than did conventional self-report measures of stress, depression, and anxiety and did so independently of demographic and behavioral factors (age, sex, race, smoking, body mass index) and leukocyte subset distributions. This predictive relationship held when language and gene expression were sampled more than a week apart, suggesting that associations reflect stable individual differences or chronic life circumstances. Given the observed relationship between personal expression and gene expression, patterns of natural language use may provide a useful behavioral indicator of nonconsciously evaluated well-being (implicit safety vs. threat) that is distinct from conscious affective experience and more closely tracks the neurobiological processes involved in peripheral gene regulation.

Emotion and biological health: the socio-cultural moderation

Prior evidence shows that positive and negative emotions are associated with better and worse health, respectively. However, the emotion-health relationship may be conflated since this evidence is based nearly exclusively on subjective measures of health. Here, we reviewed more recent evidence focusing on biological health and showed that the emotion-health link is more complex. First, whereas negative emotional states such as negative affect and anger expression are inversely linked to biological health among Americans, this relationship is either not present (negative affect) or even reversed (anger expression) for Japanese. Second, whereas a meaningfulness aspect of happiness (eudaimonia) is linked consistently to better biological health, the relationship between its pleasantness aspect (hedonia) and biological health is uncertain. Moreover, a contextualized sense of meaningfulness in a work setting is strongly associated with better biological health among Japanese. Altogether, the initial evidence reviewed here underscores a need to conceptualize the biological dynamics of health and wellbeing as inherently intertwined with socio-cultural processes.

Kindness in the blood: A randomized controlled trial of the gene regulatory impact of prosocial behavior

CONTEXT

Prosocial behavior is linked to longevity, but few studies have experimentally manipulated prosocial behavior to identify the causal mechanisms underlying this association. One possible mediating pathway involves changes in gene expression that may subsequently influence disease development or resistance.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS

In the current study, we examined changes in a leukocyte gene expression profile known as the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) in 159 adults who were randomly assigned for 4 weeks to engage in prosocial behavior directed towards specific others, prosocial behavior directed towards the world in general, self-focused kindness, or a neutral control task.

RESULTS

Those randomized to prosocial behavior towards specific others demonstrated improvements (i.e., reductions) in leukocyte expression of CTRA indicator genes. No significant changes in CTRA gene expression were observed in the other 3 conditions.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that prosocial behavior can causally impact leukocyte gene expression profiles in ways that might potentially help explain the previously observed health advantages associated with social ties.