Blog

Welcome to the ResponseAbility blog, where we pose questions and discuss the cutting edge issues facing Britain and the wider world from a distinctly Jewish perspective.

To life L’Chaim

ResponseAbility’s project over the next year is called ‘L’Chaim : To Life’. What it means to live a good life lies at the heart of this project. The theme of life pulsates through Judaism; it is, most would say, its fundamental tenet. We may be unclear about life after death but we are very clear about life. We hope for a long life, and a good life – a life that embraces the here and now. Judaism is fundamentally about giving us pointers as to how to achieve this. 

ResponseAbility is exploring this theme in a way that is both thought provoking and groundbreaking. The simple questions ‘what does it mean to lead a good life?’ and ‘how does one live a good life?’ underpin Judaism. These questions are now being asked across various disciplines. Cutting edge philosphers, pyschologists, economists and even epidemiologists are already addressing this issue.

Lying at the heart of these ideas are the ethics of the Jewish tradition. For example, Shabbat, the idea of a day not being a producer or a consumer. A day not working has been accepted in the Western world but shoppins is seen as a leisurely pursuit. Tzedakah, the idea of sharing wealth and giving to charity, and Tefilah, reflection on positive aspects of life. Mitzvah, being a volunteer and performing good deeds, and Kashrut, being aware of what we eat.

Positive Psychology

Positive psychology has been growing in popularity over the last twenty years but is only now coming to the attention of the general public. Growing out of humanist psychology, which became prominent in the 1950s, it takes a more holistic approach. In 1998 Dr Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his presidency of the American Psychological Association. Positive psychology aims to improve well-being as opposed to treating mental illness and dysfunction. It is concerned not with curing mental illness, but creating conditions in which the individual can flourish and reach self fulfillment

However there is strong resistence to the ideas - particularly in Britain. ResponseAbiltiy wants to overcome that resistence, believing that many of the ideas of positive psychology can be usefully employed to tackle the growing crisis in mental health as well as making a significant contribution to improving the well-being of our nation.

The Chartermark

ResponseAbility aims to take these ideas and implement them in a radical new approach to the way schools measure success. It will popularise these ideas by their practical implemention; it will research, design and create a Chartermark of Well-being.

Our Chartermark will include six key areas; learning, exercising, mindfulness, volunteering, strong communities and relationships with others, and counting one's blessings.

Volunteering
Tzedakah

Being a volunteer and giving to charity has consistently been shown to be hugely beneficial, both mentally and physically. Even simple isolated acts of kindness can have health benefits, with studies showing that volunteers and people who give to charity suffer less from depression than those who do not, with those giving two hours a week to volunteer work experiencing significant health benefits.

Counting one’s blessings
Berachot

Studies have shown that if people take time at the end of every day to reflect on things that have gone well there is a marked increase in well-being. This is true even of those who are clinically depressed. Dr Martin Seligman’s research goes further and points out that through identifying the very best in ourselves, we can achieve new and sustainable levels of contentment and meaning.

Strong communities
Kehilah

People cope better if they are part of community networks and possess strong relationships with friends and family. It’s not just a cliché, money really can’t buy happiness. High salaries, fancy houses or prestigious jobs have very little impact on your levels of wellbeing. Strong personal relationships are the most important factors for an individual’s overall happiness.

Exercise and eating well
P’ilot v’kasher

Exercise is not just about physical health, but mental wellbeing as well. Studies have shown that individuals suffering from depression can either reduce or end their suffering through physical exercise rather than with medication. More generally, single bouts of exercise are proven to reduce anxiety and tension.

Life long learning
Torah

Learning new skills stimulates the mind and can have long term benefits in reducing your chances of developing dementia or alzheimer’s. The brain, like other parts of the body, needs to be worked out regularly. Stimulating your mind by learning something new regularly helps to keep the brain strong and healthy, thus delaying the effects of ageing.

Mindfulness
Tefilah

Reflecting on your surroundings and your feelings can help you to appreciate what matters to you most. Take the time to savour the weather, food and the other joys of life. Other forms of reflection such as meditation has been shown to reduce blood pressure, strengthen the immune system and boost self confidence.

All of these are proven to have significant benefits to both physical and mental health, and all three versions of our Chartermark will incorporate these activities.

The principle behind this is that in the same way that we take practical physical steps to safeguard our physical health, there are similar practical steps we can take to improve our mental health. Mental health and well-being, is measurable and can be improved by these relatively simple interventions.

Mental health problems among schoolchildren are on the rise, and the key now is to use positive psychology as a way in which we can address these issues. One in ten children in 2004 was estimated to have some form of mental health condition and the average age at which depression is diagnosed is now 14. A recent study found that 50% of young people suffering from depression will attempt to kill themselves. 32% of 11-16 year olds said they felt sad, depressed, lonely, worried, stressed, scared or angry most of the time. The findings demonstrate the particular importance of focusing upon secondary schools; as it is between the age of 11 and 16 that mental health problems are most prevalent.

Stress and its associated mental health problems such as depression is the second biggest cause of absenteeism and long term sick leave in the UK, with over 91 million working days lost each year. At any one time, 1 in 14 people in the UK will be on stress related sick leave of six months or more. Given the importance of the education and early life experience, it is essential that this problem is tackled at its root, in our schools.

Research shows that there is huge potential to make a clear, measurable difference. Dr Anthony Seldon has proven at Wellington College that teaching happiness and promoting wellbeing not only improves the mental health of pupils, but contributes to improving exam results, with a 70% increase since focusing on wellbeing.

ResponseAbility’s interest in this project grew out of the realisation that cutting edge scientists, such as positive psychologists, were producing work that was a secular version of much of Jewish teaching. ResponseAbility became aware that growing secularization meant this teaching was being lost and that this loss might be contributing to the rise in mental illness. It sees this as an opportunity to reclaim and popularise these ideas and help to help people lead better lives, better for themselves as individuals and better for society as a whole.

References

1. ‘Doctors to give fit notes instead of Sick Notes’,BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8599354.stm
2. Positive Psychology is the discipline in whichpsychologists such as Dr Martin Seligman have looked at the ways in which wecan improve our wellbeing in a positive sense to build our resilience tosetbacks. This is in contrast to what Dr Seligman sees as the ‘negativepsychological approach’ which focuses on correcting mental illnesses anddisorders once they have arisen.
3. Seligman, MartinE.P.; Csikszentmihalyi,Mihaly (2000). "Positive Psychology: An Introduction". American Psychologist 
4. These are ideas which have been explored andimplemented by Dr Nick Baylis and Dr Anthony Seldon, the headteacher of Wellington College, who has argued for some timethat all schools should be teaching wellbeing.
5. Samaritans, Young People’s Emotional Health, http://www.samaritans.org/PDF/Samaritans-ProfessionalYPFactsheet-Nov09.pdf
6. Meltzer H, Gatwood R, Goodman R and Ford T (2000) Mental health ofchildren and adolescents in Great Britain, TSO:London, Mortality Statistics, Office for NationalStatistics, Meltzer H, GatwardR, Corbin T, Goodman R and Ford T (2003) The Mental Health of Young PeopleLooked After by Local Authorities in England, TSO:London, Craig T K J and Hodson S (1998)Homeless youth in London: I. Childhood antecedents and psychiatric disorder,Psychological Medicine 28, 1379-1388 & LaderD, Singleton N and Meltzer H (2000) Psychiatric morbidity among young offendersin England and Wales, Office for National Statistics: London.
7. UK Health ResearchAnalysis, (2006) UKClinical Research Collaboration. The UK spends £12billion on depression each year. Mental illness causes more early deaths thancancer and heart disease combined; suicide is the largest cause of death in men under 25 & MIND (2005), Stress and Mental Healthin the Workplace. MIND estimate that 20 percent of workers suffered from eithervery or extremely stressful working conditions. Nearly 10% of GDP is lost eachyear due to job generated stress.
8. Allen, J (2008), OlderPeople and Wellbeing, IPPR
9. Wallis, C (2004), The New Science of Happiness,Time Magazine
10. M Seligman, M Csikszentmihalyi (2000), ‘Positive Psychology, An Introduction’ inAmerican Psychologist, Volume 55, No 1. P5-14, American PsychologicalAssociation.
11. Wallis, C (2004), The New Science of Happiness,Time Magazine
12. The Universityof Californiapsychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky has found that plenty of ‘sleep, exercise,stretching, smiling and laughing’ improve a person’s short term mood, which canimprove long term wellbeing and mental resilience. Wallis, C (2004), The NewScience of Happiness, Time Magazine
13. M Seligman, M Csikszentmihalyi (2000), ‘Positive Psychology, An Introduction’ inAmerican Psychologist, Volume 55, No 1. P5-14, American PsychologicalAssociation.
14. BBC (2003), Meditation ‘good for health’, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2725487.stm
15. The Young Foundation(2009), Sinking and Swimming, Understanding Britain’s Unmet Needs, Solopress.The Young Foundation argues that resilience is crucial because the differencebetween someone who copes well with setbacks and shocks and someone who does notis their ‘psychological fitness.’ It cites the statistic that a 10 year oldchild’s capacity for concentration and dedication are a greater determinant offuture earnings than ability in Maths. Further, Professor Martin Seligman hasdiscussed at lengths the impact of learned helplessness, the phenomenon hedescribed as a buildup of mental illness coinciding with a perceived inabilityto control a situation. Seligman, M.E.P. (1975).Helplessness: On Depression, Development, and Death. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. 
16. Bartram, D & Boniwell, I (2007), The Science ofHappiness: achieving Sustained psychological wellbeing, British VeterinaryAssociation.
17. Volunteering produces Health Benefits
    http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=687
18. Wallis, C, The NewScience of Happiness, Time Magazine, 2005
19. Seligman, M, Authentic Happiness, using the new positive psychology to realise your potential forlasting fulfilment, Free Press 2002.
20. Wallis, C, 2005.
21. F Huppert, N Baylis, B Keverne, The Science of Happiness, Oxford University Press, 2005
22. New Economics Foundation, Five Waysto Wellbeing 2009.
23. 'Health Benefits of Meditation'
    http://www.healthandyoga.com/HTML/meditation/objectives.html