Psychology in the Media - Assignment Example

Psychology in the Media Affiliation: Article: Walsh, R. January 17). Lifestyle and Mental Health. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0021769This article is about educating the public through the media on the significance of certain lifestyles to the mental health of an individual. The articles suggests that the mental health professionals have been underestimating on the significance of good lifestyle factors, such as being the contributors towards the treatment of multiple psychopathologies, then for the fostering of individual and social well-being, and for preserving and optimizing on the cognitive function.

Through the article, it is apparent that therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLCs) are under minimum utilization despite some considerable evidence showing that they are effective in both clinical and the normal populations. In the 21st century, there will be need of therapeutic lifestyles to focus centrally on the mental, medical, and public health (Walsh, 2011). From the information disseminated in this article, I was not skeptical upon hearing the findings of this research. This is because the author used extensive reviews while conducting studies in the subject, thus implying that the research was detailed to the latter.

More so, the author used enormous literature on the topic, justifying his claims with factual research data, hence removing any possibility of doubt to his research findings.The sources of information used by the author in his research were credible. Most of the references materials used in this article are from scholarly approved journals, from the approved medical publications, from widely approved psychological publications, and from the widely recognized medical governing associations. The author was also prompt at backing his claims by providing the sources of supporting evidence, backed with extra sources where applicable.

Through the entire article, there were no signs of oversimplification on the information provided to the public. The author was interested at sending the rightful message by procedural and detailed means, backed up with concrete evidence. All the information was procedural, with the author taking ample term in defining medical terms that might be of difficulty in understanding to the reader. The purpose of the author was entire for the absolute health benefits to the readers, rather than writing this article for monetary gains.

The only problem with this article is that it did not provide absolute proof on its findings. Most of the information is based on the theoretic analysis of other researches, and did not engage directly with participants as the primary study. The information only backs its claims by citing a number of proven outcomes from other sources. For example, multiple studies on human and animals suggest that pescovegetarian diets may be helpful at preventing or ameliorating psychopathologies across the life span (Gomez-Pinilla, 2008).

In another example, several meta-analyses suggest the possibility of treating unipolar, bipolar, and the perinatal depressive disorder through supplementation (Appleton et al., 2010). These examples justifies that the author was only backing his findings from other secondary sources, hence providing no absolute proof on his own. The author was through at using enough evidence while completing his research findings. For example, the author talked about recreation and enjoyable activities, relaxation and stress management, self-management skills, religious and spiritual involvements, and supplements among other control group measures.

There was also a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted among the 81 youth aged between 13 and 25 years to figure out effects of fish oils in preventing the progression of psychosis. All of these are in comparison to those people that do not engage in any constructive lifestyle and mental activities, hence justifying presence of evidence by using these control groups. The research suggests enough correlation in its findings. Through the entire paper, the author was backing all information provided by providing real time examples on the proven outcomes to the same concepts.

For example, while talking about supplements, the author suggests that fish and fish oil are especially important for the mental health. To justify the correlation, he backs up the claim by stating that particular findings show that fish oils may be helpful at preventing progression of the first episode psychosis in a high-risk youth. Finally, the inferences of the study were not supported by data. Most of the inferences were more of theoretical, receiving backing from other secondary sources of information.

There was no specific instance where the author provided absolute data indicating the findings to his inferences. Even though there was no use of data, the inferences are still credible in that the author was through at sitting the sources of information, with most of his sources being the approved medical research findings. References Appleton, K. M., Rogers, P. J., & Ness, A. R. (2010). Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on depressed mood.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91, 757–770. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28313Go´mez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brainfoods: The effect of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 568–578. doi:10.1038/nrn2421Walsh, R. (2011, January 17). Lifestyle and Mental Health. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0021769