Implication of emotions in the state of health

José Ramón Toro López

1Independent Researcher,Sevilla 41500,Spain.

Abstract Background:At the beginning of the 70s,Dr. Candace Pert discovered for the first time the first component of the molecules of emotion, explaining and demonstrating how the mind and the body are interconnected.This study aims to confirm the importance of emotions and how they intervene or are related to different types of pathologies, thus confirming the importance that this relationship represents for the state of health. Method: A systematic review has been carried out on the implication that emotions have on the state of health. A generalized search was carried out, preferably in articles published and related to our study in the last five years, mainly basing the bibliographic review on Health Sciences and Social Sciences databases. Results: We have been able to verify how emotions, in general, can favor or worsen diseases such as heart, mental, eating disorders, autoimmune diseases, or cancer,among others;in addition to the importance of positive and negative emotions in all kinds of diseases. Conclusions:We have seen throughout this study how emotions interfere with our state of health, especially due to the greater number of negative emotions that surround us daily to the detriment of the positive emotions that we know favor the state of not only physical and emotional health but also of social and general well-being.We need to look for situations or environments that, in a certain sense, foster positive emotions every day and in any place where we find ourselves (home, work, street, etc.).

Keywords:emotion;disease; heart disease; adolescence; mental state

Background

The main objective of this study is to see and demonstrate to what extent emotions are really involved in different types of pathologies,thus confirming the importance that this relationship represents for the state of health.

Much evidence has been found that has shown the importance of emotions in relation to the state of health. We know that they are complex and that they appear in all kinds of situations as well as being directly related to our thoughts (which we are continuously processing), our desires, and our will. In reality, we could say that they are mechanisms that any living being puts into operation to maintain its survival, mechanisms that we are going to put into operation as a way out when we face environments of danger, threat,joy, sorrow, fear, etc. that we are experiencing at that moment.

It was at the beginning of the 70s when Dr.Candace Pert discovered for the first time the first component of the emotion molecules,explaining and demonstrating how the mind and the body are interconnected, where neuropeptides (peptide structures produced by cells nerve cells in the brain) are related to states of consciousness,having the ability to alter it when they come together with specific receptors in cells,thus regulating the different functions that our body performs [1].

Method

A qualitative systematic review study has been carried out through a synthesis of different research articles related to the involvement of emotions in the state of health. The searches were carried out in English since the number of results was greater than those carried out in Spanish.

The study has been mainly based on Health Sciences and Social Sciences databases. Using “emotion and health” and “emotion and illness” as search keywords, the number of references used for our study was mainly based on those results that seemed to be more representative of some determined pathologies. For this purpose, a generalized search was carried out. Preferably in articles published and related to the study in the last five years, using the following search engines: 1. Pubmed (emotion and illness – 21.353) (emotion and health – 143.555); 2. VHL Regional Portal (emotion and health –30,724) (emotion and illness – 9,044). 3. APA PsycNet (emotion and health – 2.800) (emotion and illness – 5,736). 4. Google Scholar(emotion and health – 67,500)(emotion and illness– 17,800).

Of all of them, the first 100 references that coincided with the established search words were reviewed. From all the results that appeared that contained the established search words,the articles that were related to some of the pathologies considered to be the most frequent were finally selected, leaving the following definitively selected by each search engine: 1. Pubmed: selected 23; 2. VHL Regional Portal: selected 4; 3. APA PsycNet: selected 2; 4. Look out:none that fit our search line; 5. Google Scholar: selected 3. See Table 1, Table 2.

The selected results were related in the first place to the importance that positive and negative emotions represented, paying more attention to the latter given their essential relationship with the state of health. Finally, we opted for some articles where the word emotion was more frequently related directly or indirectly to the state of health.

The references that were used for the study sought especially the relationships that could exist between the different emotions and the development of various pathologies (emotional and physical) related to them. In order to better see their relationship, the results were grouped by those that were considered most common, frequent, and with a certain relevance, such as those related to patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases,autoimmune and brain;and on the other hand, aspects related to food and the influence that these also exert among adolescents. However, in order to have a more general view of their interactions, they were also grouped into positive emotions and those known as negative emotions. Unfortunately, the latter are the most frequent in our society, favored, for example, when addressing diseases such as cancer or autoimmune diseases. In addition, frequent aspects such as the excessive use of video games in adolescents,post-traumatic stress or stressful situations such as the ones we live in today.

Results

Positive emotions

It has been possible to demonstrate that the increase in positive emotions facilitates an improvement in the state of maternal mental health. A study carried out with pregnant women was able to show that those who had depression during pregnancy could be more likely to develop it.However, when they experienced an increase in positive emotional experiences, fewer anxiety symptoms were observed,therefore, less likely that situations of this type could be clinically triggered [2].

The way in which mothers perceive their babies’ emotions is not always the same.There are factors such as values, cultural beliefs, and the environment that modulate them in a certain sense [3]. For example, it is known that when children lose their first tooth, instead of representing a negative situation, their emotional state is positive despite the visits they normally make to the dentist, all of this normally thanks to the importance that parents represent in this sense.And dentists in the emotional development of children [4].

The importance of children expressing and identifying their emotions in primary care nursing consultations has been possible thanks to the use of adapted didactic tools.Emotional care of this type could promote their relationship with health professionals, thus being able to reduce the anxiety situations that children usually present when they go to nursing appointments [5].

Another vital aspect to take into account is what is known aschildhood experiences of emotional invalidation, frequently found in adults who present with a borderline personality disorder. For this reason, all those subjective experiences of care can occur in adolescents [6]. It is very important that young people at this stage have a quality sleep. However, the current use of mobile phones and video games tends to favor that this sleep is shorter than would be desirable, which could favor the appearance of less positive emotions.Let’s have bear in mind that poor sleep shows stronger associations with a negative effect, so it would be necessary to promote both the duration and the quality of sleep in order to promote emotions that ultimately end up being positive [7].

Table 1 Procedure used for the study

Table 2 Selected articles

Negative emotions

Illnesses such as cancer, as a result of diagnosis and treatment,tend to favor negative emotional reactions such as anxiety and depression with relative frequency,both in affected patients and in their families;so in view of these situations, it would be essential to take carry out continuous psychological care in this type of patients, also paying special attention to family members since they experience increasing pressure as the patient’s year of survival progresses [8].

It has been possible to verify how the regulation of emotions has come to favor the well-being of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases; in fact, in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis, the results of a study showed how cognitive reappraisal could be associated with physical and psychological well-being. [9].

A situation that occurs relatively frequently today in children is the excessive use of video games.It has been possible to see an increase in negative emotions after the completion of these generated by the frustrations that sometimes favor their use [10].

A study carried out on women who suffered from post-traumatic stress and were associated with family problems related to the upbringing of their children determined that when there was a conflict between the parents and the children connected to their upbringing,the mothers experienced more sensitivity more negative emotions[11].

It is important that we take into account in the well-being of adolescents the important role played by the use of strategies such as emotional regulation,mental health and social results.For this reason,greater use of targeted reappraisals should be made in this regard as they could provide some protection against negative social effects that could lead to poor mental health [12].

It is known that those patients who are affected by a serious disease,such as breast cancer, usually have physical and social problems as a consequence of the disease and the treatment which in turn will facilitate the development of situations of stress due to the drastic change that is generated in your life. A type of situation that will surely end up generating unpleasant emotional states and if maintained over time, will possibly end up affecting their well-being and quality of life [13].

With regard to pregnant women, it is also important to establish a relationship between the cognitive regulation of their emotions and their state of health. It must be taken into account that, in general terms, the mental health of people is the result of the interaction of strategies of a cognitive-emotional ordering,so it is necessary to carry out adequate evaluations, especially in those situations that could be stressful[14].

Different pathologies associated with emotions

Another group where emotions play a role are those that are associated with different types of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, in which they have been able to observe that they favor anxiety disorders (sporadic or generalized) and where they have also been found to be related to somatic symptoms of depression and panic disorders. It has been possible to demonstrate that vital exhaustion contributes to the development of coronary diseases. Some studies shown how the suppression of anger and the destructive expression that this usually entails,such as blaming others for what is happening,are linked to a higher incidence of diseases of this type[15].

Regarding anxiety, there are not many studies that have been able to contrast an association of this when associated with depression. It should be taken into account that it is frequently fear that precedes states of anxiety and that this fear would possibly increase the chances of suffering subsequent heart disease [16]. In fact, in the context of emotional intelligence, the existence of a relationship between cardiovascular diseases and psychological characteristics such as anxiety and anger has been affirmed [17]. It is well known that negative emotions, regardless of the risk factors that they usually entail, could even favor the development of diseases of cardiovascular origin,even in the short term [18].

Being able to anticipate emotions could better control situations related to diseases. Recent studies have shown that in certain circumstances, emotional responses could be more persuasive than cognitive evaluations. In fact, it has been possible to verify that in the face of perceived risk, anticipating emotion can generate a series of ideal intentions and behaviors that would facilitate the development of more desired behaviors [19].

Many of us who have worked or worked with patients should take into account how important it is to identify and counteract situations that could trigger negative emotions, especially in those who suffer from chronic illnesses [20]. Since with a relative frequency, they tend to experience strong emotions of this type, for example, occurs in the case of diabetes [21].

As health professionals, there are times when we have to face difficult situations to which we want to provide a solution, such as when a patient presents a pain problem. In this type of situation, we should take into account that these can lead to emotional and cognitive alterations that will surely end up favoring a decrease not only in our quality of life and/or that of the patient from a functional or work point of view but also psychological and social [22]. In addition, it has also been possible to verify the importance that prosocial behavior represents in critical situations thanks to the fact that empathy and social connection favor the state of well-being [23].For this reason, it would be essential to promote it, especially within health professionals.

Feeding

The literature usually relates emotional aspects to eating disorders as an important factor. One study seems to highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in this type of disorder, where the lack of emotional language and additional aspects of emotional awareness and expression seems to be related [24]. Emotional responses are so critical that they have not only been used to encourage food consumption, but have even been communicated through sweat, thus transcending ethnocultural boundaries, leading to the belief that the ability to perceive emotional cues of body odor could also be a universal phenomenon [25].

State of mind

In degenerative brain diseases,the appearance of anosognosia(lack of awareness of the disease) represents an important problem in its relationship with the right hemisphere and emotions. This is a heterogeneous phenomenon where the role played by right frontal lesions is much greater when the loss of perception is related to aspects of the personality rather than when it comes to particular aspects of cognition or memory [26]. However, if we manage to stimulate emotions such as the hope that have the ability to trace and maintain paths, we can promote cognitive health, especially when we talk about elderly people [27].

We must take into account that in the elderly, feelings of fear and anxiety when associated with dementia determine not only the experiences and responses to a diagnosis, but also the practices and processes through which they are carried out – evaluations and diagnoses themselves [28].

Conclusions

We have seen throughout this study how emotions interfere with our state of health. We have found that there is a greater development of negative emotions that surround us daily to the detriment of the positive emotions that we know would favor not only a state of good physical and emotional health but also social and general well-being.We need to look for situations or environments that,in a certain sense,promote positive emotions every day and in any place where we find ourselves(home,work, street,etc.), learning to be more empathic and learning to capture the emotional state of the people around us could help us to maintain a good social and mental balance.

There are people for whom life is an excellent opportunity to grow and enjoy; while for others,it is just a great sacrifice and a continuous struggle. The great difference between them is in their way of perceiving the world. It is precisely in these situations where positive thoughts and emotions should be promoted in order to stop or reverse the development of any type of pathology.

At the end of the work, we were asked several questions, among others,for example:how do we internalize those emotions?Do each of the different emotions affect the same organs or on the contrary,depending on the type of emotion,do they affect different organs?Or,if so, what route do they use to reach a specific organ? It would be necessary to carry out more studies that could end up helping us to resolve not only these issues but all those that may arise; nor should we forget the importance of conducting studies that take into account the emotional state of health professionals and especially nursing staff given the close relationship they maintain with the patient.